Spring cleaning just got real — real tasty that is.
I don’t know about you, but both of my fridges are bearing the weight of too many experiments and whims; jars of curry pastes and marinades and sauces and nut oils and condiments clutter the shelves (four different olives, five mustards and six different kinds of hot sauces? really?).
I think nothing of opening up a new bottle or jar if I think it’s a new path to nirvana — but then later freak out when I realize that I barely have enough for all those groceries coming in.
Here’s just a tiny portion of the items cluttering my shelves.
Yesterday I was looking through some old paperwork when I spied a recipe I’d clipped years ago and I realized that I could combine a little cleaning out of the fridge with some baking I wanted to do.
Voila.
The recipe (adapted by Martha Holmberg from Patricia Heyman in Fine Cooking) uses up any opened up jars of preserve or jam you have on hand– whether it’s a little or a lot.
When I looked at my fridge, I realized that I had no small amount of real estate devoted to open jam jars, so I got out the rest of the ingredients and started to pull the simple recipe together.
Room temperature butter and eggs are a must, and be sure to whip together the butter and sugar long enough that it’s really fluffy and light, so it looks something like this.
I’ve made this recipe twice this week, and the second time I added almond paste to the butter/sugar combo, and I love how it added a touch of nutty sweetness to the dough (if you care to do the same, 2-3 oz. should be enough).
After you make the dough, it’s a breeze to pull together.
Two-thirds of the dough is spread out, and then the jam goes on top.
The genius of this idea is that you can use as many different flavors as you want, spread out alongside.
All my jams were the Bon Maman brand and my bars this time included peach, apricot, strawberry, and just a small amount of blackberry and cherry jam.
After you spread out the jam, you top with the last of the dough.
I also added some grated tangerine zest atop for a citrusy finish.
Into the oven it goes for almost an hour (mine was done in 50 minutes); you’ll know it’s done when the top is slightly golden and no longer looks wet.
I loved how the jam got bubbly and caramelized at the corners (dibs on the corner piece).
I pulled the pan from the oven and once they’d cooled slightly, I cut them into squares and dropped some off to a few neighbors.
A handful of people who live around my ‘hood got to-go packages.
I like giving treats in little aluminum tins that they can reuse with a fresh bake or use for storing small baking supplies, and the napkin cover is something they can use after nibbling on these gooey bars.
Wouldn’t you like to come home to find this on your doorstep?
I’d say that another great thing about this recipe is it that it gives you that sugar cookie satisfaction without the fuss of rolling it out or having to use multiple sheet pans, making this perfect for a crowd or a picnic.
I also love how the tartness of the jam sets out the springy sweetness of the butter/sugar base; next time I’ll expressly buy a darker, inkier fruit for the middle filling as I think the contrast of the jam color with the pale layers is more striking (blueberry or blackberry jam would be gorgeous here).
And one more thing: the recipe doesn’t call for salt (which I thought odd) but I tried a bite of the cooked bars but with and without a little Maldon salt and I far prefer the former version. Just a little makes a quantum difference in terms of brightness and complexity, but I will leave that up to you.
My favorite part of this baking interlude was the call I got yesterday afternoon from a friend who’d received one of these delivered treats.
She said she walked up to her front door to find the little metal tin (minus the gingham napkin top wrapper) with just two bars inside — and one empty cupcake liner.
She thinks a squirrel tore off the napkin wrapper, sat on her porch and ate one of the bars right there (there was a small mound of buttery crumbs on the edge and no napkin in sight).
So there you have it.
Buttery Leftover Jam Bars.
Mom Made. Squirrel Approved.
- 13 oz. (3 sticks plus 2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1⅔ C. granulated sugar
- 2-4 oz. almond paste (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 3¾ C. all purpose flour (spoon the flour into your measuring cup, don't scoop it up)
- 1½ finely chopped hazelnuts or almonds (optional)
- 2 C. berry, peach or apricot preserves (I liked the blackberry and cherry jam best here)
- flaked salt to finish (optional)
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter a 9 X 13 inch pan.
- In an electric mixer or with a wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar (plus almond paste if using) until fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating until the first one's incorporated before adding the next.
- Add the flour and mix just enough to blend in. Add the nuts and mix a little longer until just blended.
- Press about ⅔ of the mixture into the baking pan. Spread with the preserves and then crumble the remaining dough to make an even top layer (don't worry if all your preserves are covered).
- If desired, sprinkle lightly with your best salt and then bake for about an hour, until the top is lightly browned (mine only took 50 minutes to cook perfectly).
- Let the bars cool in the pan, then cut into 1½ inch squares. If you want to freeze these, you can freeze the whole pan or cut into bars and freeze however many you'd like.
Tiana says
SARAH!!! YOU ARE THE BEST NEIGHBOR EVER!! Thank you so much for the delicious bars! I love coming home to your sweet surprises! They always seem to appear when I need them the most. You are an extremely talented cook, baker, writer and community member! Thank you for thinking of us!
Sarah Kline says
Tiana, your sweet note made my day. Thanks so much for chiming in and know how glad I am that you all moved onto our block! Have a great weekend 🙂
Beth says
Oh Sarah, were you looking over my shoulder during my fridge clean out last weekend? I have so much jam, and this is the perfect solution! I just took the butter and eggs out of the fridge to warm up, and I am baking these bars today! Thank you!
Sarah Kline says
Hello Beth! I hear you! Only piece of additional advice I’d give is to add more jam than is recommended– I think next time I’d use at least 3 C. for this recipe (or maybe even a bit more). Let me know how they work out for you! Now if only I could figure out what to do with all those curry pastes, hot sauces and unusual condiments…
Beth says
They were delicious! I didn’t have almond paste so I used almond extract, and it was perfect with the peach and apricot preserves. I ended up using almost 3 cups of jam, and I do think they could use even a bit more. Next time I’d also put some toasted almonds on top for a little crunch.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Sarah Kline says
Good idea to use the extract, Beth. The original recipe calls for nuts– I just omitted because my kids don’t care for it, but I love the idea of added crunch, too. Yum!
Joanna Sooper says
These look amazing! You are an incredibly generous woman!
Sarah Kline says
Thanks, Joanna! Happy Mother’s Day:)
chrissy clark says
Sarah, I so appreciate your blog! During times where we are inundated with negative news (political, environmental, social), it is so nice to know that when I open your page it is filled with joy, art, beautiful writing, and comfort! Thank you Sarah Kline! And btw, I’m off to make these jam bars!
Sarah Kline says
Thanks, Chrissy, for the kind words and sweet sentiments. Best of luck with the bars — I hope you love them!
Connie says
I want to second this sentiment – and hope that you had a lovely Mother’s Day as well, Sarah!
Sarah Kline says
Thanks, Connie! I so appreciate all the kind words 🙂
Cindy says
Love this! We returned from our trip and I cleared and cleaned out the fridge. I so wish I had read this post prior to my need to clear up space….. oh well. I think these need to be made today, a dark jam I think for Memorial Day. Thank you for this. I so enjoy how you write.
Sarah Kline says
Thanks for the kind words, Cindy! Did you make them? I’m curious how they worked out for you. I made them again recently but this time with even more jam and I loved them even more, and I definitely prefer them with the darker fruit jams.
Cindy says
Oh my word!! Made and loved. I made with the Mamon Raspberry Jam. Not knowing how this would work with ” how much”, I used the whole 10 oz. jar. I was delighted with the outcome. My husband enjoyed and these will be made again. I do think I will increase the jam amounts next time I visit this recipe.i did use the almond paste. My first time to use. Question on incorporating into mix? When? And I sliced but the slices did not seem to mix well. Am I to see the paste decrease in size when mixing? Or does it just melt within the oven? Not sure about my correct use . I did taste it and enjoyed it. I believe I used maybe an inch-?
Leftovers went to the office with my husband….. think the clinic staff will enjoy! I plan to make this again with a family get together next month. Thank-you…. I will be reading on—
Sarah Kline says
So glad you liked! Good question about the paste, and I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear. What I usually do is crumble the almond paste into the smallest possible pinches and whip into the butter and it usually works out great. If your almond paste is older/firmer/drier, start with giving it a good minute or two in the mixer first, then add butter — small pieces are fine, and I think it adds a great added flavor dimension. Add a bit of almond extract in lieu of paste or a touch to boost paste flavor further. Leftovers (unlikely as they are) also freeze well and it’s so fun to find a couple pieces in the freezer when you want to surprise a friend or yourself later with a sweet alongside tea or coffee. So good to hear from you, and don’t hesitate to ask questions — I love them! BTW, working on a Red Velvet Cake Recipe that was OUTSTANDING!