WELCOME TO OUR KITCHEN: We're making jammy oat bar cookies!

Cooking with Bruce and Mark

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.