I made these easy Jam squares during the initial 3 week lockdown in March last year, yip that long ago already! Thank goodness we have moved on from there, right?! This recipe has been waiting patiently, since then, to feature on here. So let’s give it a warm welcome shall we! They were wonderful little squares to be locked down with, i’ll tell ya that much. They didn’t really last long at all.
The highlight of these Jam squares is that they’re easy to make on a whim, the ingredients are all things you’re likely to have in the pantry. I did have to dash to the shop though, because although I had jam, I didn’t have Apricot Jam. And you know, we all have our favourite jams!
The original recipe I based this one off, called for more flour and more baking powder but I used way less and it was perfectly fine. Just make sure your pan is not too big as you’ll battle to spread the dough on the base. You will use two thirds of the dough for the base and the remaining third to grate and sprinkle on top of the dough.
My boys loved these Jam squares (we all did) – one liked the top part, one liked the base and one loved the bottom and top all the same. Although tempting to eat straight away, rather wait until they have cooled. The hot jam can burn your lips but beyond that, the jam once cooled is delectably gooey and chewy – how it should be eaten if you ask me! You’ll be glad (and not so glad) that the recipe only makes 12 squares. They go very quickly, so savour each mouthful as best you can!
And if you love these Jam Squares, you’ll love these sweet treats too:
- Good Old-Fashioned Creamy Fudge
- The Best Choc Chip Cookies Ever
- Fiery Ginger Chews
- Delicious Date Balls
Easy Jam Squares
- Total Time: 30 mins
Ingredients
- 125g butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cups jam (I used Apricot)
Instructions
- Using a blender, cream the butter and sugar together until creamy
- Add the egg and vanilla essence and beat until well combined.
- Add the flour (sieve it if you are feeling diligent!) and baking powder and mix until a dough forms.Then using your hands, press the dough together until it forms a ball. Use 2/3 of the dough and spread it along the base of a greased baking tin (Place the other third in the fridge for now). I used a 30 x 20cm tin.
- Using the head of a fork, poke holes into the dough to prevent air bubbles forming (imagine the dough cut into slices – each slice needs to be pricked with the fork)
- Lather on the jam nice and thick!
- Grate the remaining 1/3 of the dough and scatter on the top of the jam (if the dough is too soft to grate, pop it in the fridge/freezer for a few minutes)
- Bake at 180°C for 20-30 minutes until dough is slightly browned and the jam is all gooey! Allow to cool and then slice into squares. Enjoy!
Notes
Tin size: 30 x 20cm or smaller (don’t go bigger than that)
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
