Cooking with Bruce and Mark

Chocolate coconut macaroons. Not almond cookies. But very simple cookies loaded with coconut and almost fudgy at the center. A true treat. And we're making them in our kitchen for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK.

Hey there. We're veteran cookbook authors Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough. We've written and published three dozen cookbooks with more on the way. We've developed over 20,000 original recipes in the past twenty-five years. This is our podcast about food and cooking, our passion. We're happy you've joined us!

Here are the segments for this podcast episode:

[00:55] Our one-minute cooking tip: Always use kosher salt for brines and marinades.

[03:12] We head to the kitchen and make simple chocolate coconut macaroons. Here's the recipe:

Heat the oven to 350F/175 C fan or convection.

Line an 18 x 13 inch/46 x 33 cm baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat 4 room-temperature large eggs, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form.

Beat in 1 cup/200 grams granulated white or caster sugar in small increments until it's all been added and you can't feel grains of sugar between your (clean) fingers.

Remove the beaters and fold in one 14 ounce/400 gram package of sweetened, shredded coconut.

Then fold in 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons/75 grams unsweetened cocoa powder until well combined.

Drop by heaping, spiky tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before enjoying.

[14:57] What’s making us happy in food this week: jammy oat bars and dried pears.

Let's talk condiments. Our fridge is full. Yours should be, too.

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, veteran cookbook authors who have written and published three dozen cookbooks (and are working on yet another). This is our podcast about food and cooking, our passions in life. We're so happy you've joined us.

Here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:

[00:45] Our one-minute cooking tip: high on the stove vs. low heat in the oven.

[03:45] Let's talk about condiments . . . and why your fridge should be as full as ours.

[17:13] What’s making us happy in food this week: Calabrian passata and high-fiber pasta (without being whole-grain pasta).

Hey there. We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough. We've written three dozen cookbooks for seven New York publishers (not counting two knitting books for Bruce and a memoir for Mark). We're excited to share our passion about food and cooking with you.

We're headed into the kitchen to make some irresistible jammy oat bar cookies. We've got a one-minute cooking tip about storing cheese. And we'll tell you what's making us happy in food this week.

[00:57] Our one-minute cooking tip: wrap cheese in fresh plastic wrap every time you open it.

[02:46] We're making jammy oat bar cookies. Mark has been taking these cookies to his literary seminars all this year. Lots of Cather and Faulkner with lots of cookies. You can't beat that.

Here's the recipe:

Jammy Oat Bar Cookies

Heat the oven to 350F (175 C—no convection or fan)

Line a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking pan with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, beat at medium-low speed until creamy and light (about 5 minutes):

• ¾ pound (3 sticks or 340 g) unsalted butter, cut into small
• pieces
• 1 cup (215 grams) packed dark brown sugar
• ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

Beat in 1 large egg until smooth.

Stop the mixer and beat down the inside of the bowl, then

beat in 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Beat in 2¼ cups (285 grams) all-purpose or plain flour, 2 1/4 cups (200 g) rolled oats, and 1½ cups (175 grams) toasted walnut pieces, just until the flour is incorporated.

Press about two-thirds of this dough into an even layer in the prepared baking pan. Spread with 1½ cups (480 grams) jam, preserves, or marmalade (do not use jelly!) and dollop the remaining dough in small bits on top, pressing them gently into an even layer with some jam showing through.

Bake until set and browned, about 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out and slicing into bar cookies.

[15:19] What’s making us happy in food this week: pretzels with grapes (!) and quince paste.

Hey there. We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scabrough, veteran cookbook authors with three dozen cookbooks under our belts and years writing magazine features and being columnists for those very magazines, including COOKING LIGHT, EATING WELL, and weightwatchers.

This is our food and cooking podcast. We've got a one-minute cooking tip about people who want to help you in the kitchen. We're talking about to make sure an internet recipe works . . . and how to look for decent recipes. And we'll tell you what's making us happy in food this week: Bonchon Chicken and veal marengo.

Here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:

[01:33] Our one-minute cooking tip: how to handle people who want to help in the kitchen.

[06:38] How to make online recipes work . . . or make sure they work.

[18:47] What’s making us happy in food this week: Bonchon chicken and veal marengo.