Easy Old-fashioned Jam Squares

A stack of three strawberry jam crumble bars.

Easy Old-fashioned Jam Squares

These old-fashioned buttery, crumbly, jam-tastic bars are always a hit with young and old alike. Whether for kids' parties, bake sales or your home cookie tin, this fool-proof jam square recipe always delivers!

4.97 from 120 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: International

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Servings: bars

Calories: 426kcal

Author: Maretha Corbett

Ingredients

▢ 225 gram unsalted butter - softened
▢ 140 gram sugar
▢ 1 egg - room temperature
▢ 450 gram plain flour
▢ 3 teaspoon baking powder
▢ ½ teaspoon salt - optional: you can omit the salt if using salted butter
▢ 450 gram strawberry jam - or other jam of choice

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. You can use a stand mixer, hand mixer or a food processor.
225 gram unsalted butter, 140 gram sugar
Whisk the egg in a separate bowl and add it to the butter and sugar. Beat again until the egg is fully incorporated.
1 egg
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.
450 gram plain flour, 3 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
Add the dry ingredients to the butter, sugar and egg mixture.
Work the mix together with your hands. Be patient as it's a very dry mixture, but it will come together. The dough will be quite stiff.
Shape the dough into log, wrap in cling film and chill for at least one hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/356F/gas mark 4.
Line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper. Leave a slight overhang as it makes it easier to lift the traybake out later.
Cut a three quarter piece from the log of dough and place the other quarter back in the fridge for now.
Use the rough side of a cheese grater to grate the dough into coarse crumbs.
It helps to do the grating on a very large plate or a large chopping board.
Spread the crumbs evenly into the bottom of the baking dish.
Briefly warm the jam in the microwave until it's slighter runnier and easier to spread.
We find that 45 seconds to 1 minute usually does the trick, stopping halfway through to give it a stir.
450 gram strawberry jam
Evenly spoon the jam over the crumb base.
Grate the remaining quarter of dough with the cheese grater.
Sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the jam.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top.
Allow the bake to cool completely in the tin before removing it.
It's crucial not to lift the bake from the baking tin until it has completely cooled down. We like to speed up the process with a 10 minute blast (or longer) in the fridge.
Use a sharp knife and cut into 12 squares or bars.

Notes

Do not be tempted to add more liquid to the dough

It might feel like a very dry mix and that you may have gone wrong somewhere with your measurements. Don't fear, you're on the right path!

This is normal for a shortbread mixture and the pay-off will be the short, buttery crumb later! Be patient and bring it together with your hands, it will work in the end, we promise. So please resist the urge to add any liquid.

Adjusting the amount of jam used

If you have a very sweet tooth you can up the jam to about 500g for this recipe. This will give you a thick layer of jam.

Less jam works too. If using less, you might have to take more time and care to spread it across the crumb base to get an equal distribution.

How to get uniform crumbs

The secret is to use very cold dough.

Once you have your dough made, roll it into a log shape of about 4cm in diameter and wrap it in cling film. Place it in the fridge for at least an hour. When your dough log is cool and firmed up, slice off a piece with a sharp knife.

Grate the piece with the roughest side of a cheese grater. You will need to work fast, as your hands will warm the dough and then it might start to stick to the grater more. If this happens, place it back in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up again.

We would recommend using a large chopping board or a large dinner plate for grating. It's easier to work with a bit of room because the dough crumbs multiply very quickly as you grate.

How to get neat slices

Follow our advice in the recipe by lining your baking dish with baking paper. Leave an overhang, as this makes it much easier to lift your bake from the tin later.

Resist the urge to dive into the jam squares too soon and start slicing when they are still warm. We know, it's hard! Leave them somewhere to cool down completely. Placing the tin on a wire rack will help cool it from below too.

We like to put ours in the fridge for a further 10 minutes, or longer, before lifting it out and slicing it with a sharp knife. This will guarantee sharp, neat slices.

If you're one of the excessive jam lovers and added more jam, take extra care to have your bake as cold as possible. That way, you can avoid any jam oozing out when you start slicing.

Nutritional data disclaimer

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.

Nutrition