Jam Fingers Recipe

“Jam fingers” means different things depending on where you live. In South Africa and Australia, jam fingers (also called jam slices or jam squares) are baked bars: a soft, buttery dough base with a layer of jam and more dough grated over the top. In a vintage British farmhouse tradition, jam fingers can also be fingers of bread fried in butter and served with warm jam. Both are easy and use pantry staples, so here are both.

Baked jam fingers

This recipe blends two popular versions, one from Fired Up Cooking and one from Just Easy Recipes. Both use a single-bowl dough with no rolling.

Ingredients

• 120 to 125 g (about 4.5 oz) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar (one version uses a smaller 1/4 cup, which gives a less sweet base)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (one version uses 1; baking powder amounts vary with flour type)
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice or cinnamon, optional
• About 3/4 cup jam, apricot is traditional

Because the two sources differ on sugar and baking powder, treat the quantities as a starting point and adjust to your taste and flour. The dough should be soft but not sticky, coming together into a ball.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (about 350 F) and grease a baking dish or tin. A tin around 30 x 20 cm (12 x 8 inches) works. Avoid a tin that is too large, as it will be hard to spread the dough thinly across the base.
2. Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the egg and vanilla. A food processor makes this quick.
3. Add the flour, baking powder and spice. Mix until the dough forms a ball.
4. Set aside about a third of the dough, wrapped in the fridge. Press the rest evenly into the tin. Prick the base with a fork to prevent air bubbles.
5. Spread the jam over the base, leaving a small border so it does not burn on the edges.
6. Grate the chilled dough over the jam using the large holes of a box grater, and spread it lightly with a fork.
7. Bake until golden brown, around 20 minutes in the Just Easy Recipes version. Check early since ovens differ.
8. Cut into fingers while still warm, then leave to cool completely in the tin before lifting out. Hot jam can burn, and bars cut when fully cold may crumble.

Tips

• Chill the reserved dough so that it grates cleanly rather than smearing.
• Use a thick jam so it stays put. If it is runny, simmer it briefly and cool it.
• Do not press the base too thick or the bars will be dense.
• For a half-and-half twist, try mixing apricot jam with fruit mince.

Fried-bread jam fingers

This is a frugal, old-fashioned breakfast or pudding, shared by Lavender & Lovage from a vintage farmhouse cookbook.

1. Cut stale bread into slices or fingers (crusts on or off).
2. Fry in butter until golden brown on both sides. The original recipe used dripping.
3. Sprinkle with sugar and serve with warm jam. Some people serve it with custard for dessert.

It takes about 15 minutes in total, and it is a good way to use up the end of a loaf. For other breakfast ideas with jam, see our jam breakfast recipes.

Choosing jam and variations

• Apricot is the traditional choice; it is tangy and holds its shape.
• Raspberry, strawberry or plum also work well; see our raspberry jam recipe if you want to make your own.
• Pineapple preserves make a bright tropical version.
• Jelly such as blackberry jelly gives a smooth layer with no fruit pieces.
• Coconut mixed into the grated topping adds a chewy finish.

Storage

Store baked jam fingers in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, with baking paper between layers. They also freeze well in many cases; thaw before serving. Fried-bread jam fingers are best eaten straight away.

FAQ

How do you make grandma’s old-fashioned jam squares? The baked recipe above is the classic style: a butter base, jam, and grated dough on top.

What are the ingredients for jam slices? Butter, sugar, egg, flour, baking powder, vanilla and jam are the usual ones.

Can you give me a recipe for homemade ladyfingers? Ladyfingers are a different thing: light sponge biscuits piped from an egg-based batter, used in desserts like tiramisu. They are not the same as jam fingers, and we do not cover them here.

What is the ratio of pectin to sugar in jam sugar? Products sold as “jam sugar” or “preserving sugar” in some countries already contain added pectin, and the ratio varies by brand. Follow the instructions on the package, and use our Sure-Jell blackberry jelly guide as an example of how tested pectin recipes work. Also see our jam drops and jam hamantaschen for more jam baking.