Strawberry Jam Bars With Cardamom
Updated Dec. 20, 2022
- Total Time
- 1½ hours, plus cooling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1cup/230 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
- 1cup/205 grams granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1large egg yolk
- 2½cups/320 grams all-purpose flour (see Tip)
- 2teaspoons ground cardamom
- 8tablespoons strawberry jam or any red fruit jam, such raspberry or red currant
- 1lemon, for zest
- 2tablespoons chopped nuts, such as slivered almonds, chopped walnuts or pistachios
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting over the top
Dough (or Use Half-batch of Butter Shortbread Dough)
For Finishing
Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)
161 calories; 8 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 80 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Butter a 9-inch square metal baking pan and line the bottom and two sides with long strips of parchment, leaving a 1-inch of overhang and creasing the parchment to fit snugly into the pan.
- Step 2
Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Beat on low speed until incorporated and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 3 minutes. (Do not beat until fluffy, you don’t need to incorporate air into the dough.) Add the yolk and mix until just combined. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Step 3
Add the flour to the bowl all at once and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer speed to low and beat until flour is fully incorporated, scraping the bowl again if needed, about 30 seconds. The dough will be in large crumbles.
- Step 4
(If you’re starting with a half batch of Butter Shortbread Dough, start here.) Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the ground cardamom and mix with your fingers to incorporate it into the dough. Remove 1 cup of the crumbled dough to a small bowl and refrigerate. Transfer the remaining dough to the buttered pan and flatten into an even layer by pressing into the pan using the flat bottom of a glass. Bake on the middle rack until the edges are golden brown and begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes. Cool in the pan slightly, for at least 15 minutes.
- Step 5
Spread the fruit jam in an even layer over the surface of the crust. Zest the lemon right over the top of the jam, and sprinkle with the chopped nuts and reserved crumble. Return to the oven and bake, rotating once, until the top is golden brown and the jam is sizzling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in the pan, at least 1½ hours. Run a knife along the edges to release the sides. Use the parchment to lift the cookie out of the pan onto a cutting board. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Cut the cookie into 4 strips, then cut each strip into six 1-inch wide bars.
- If using volume measurements, using a spoon, fluff and scoop the flour into a measuring cup, then scrape with a straight edge to level the surface. This will help prevent adding too much flour which can yield overly crumbly dough.
Private Notes
Comments
Think I'll try the cardamom in my mom's old recipe for a cookie that looks like this. The method is much simpler: You melt the butter and mix the dough by hand - very easy. You don't prebake the bottom crust (would end up way too brown after double baking.) Just spread jam on the raw crust, crumble on the topping, and bake for 35 minutes at 350. The amount of butter in the dough makes greasing or lining the pan unnecessary in my experience. (Google "easy jam squares" for recipes like mine.)
Referencing the other recipes associated with the shortbread base, baking temp should be 350. I did 365 as my oven runs a bit cool. Delicious and easy recipe! Brought this to a picnic and received many compliments and recipe requests. Next time I want to try mixing the cardamom in the flour so the spice gets distributed more evenly.
After launching my Christmas cookie baking this year with the NYTCardamom-Walnut Crescents, I realized too late my ground cardamom was flavorless dust. I did not want to make the mistake with this recipe. In any case, my ground cardamom had since gone in the trash. I used 1 tsp of freshly ground green cardamom & found it to be the right amount. My husband who is from India & appreciates proper spices & spicing agreed. Watch out for old/expired/flavorless ground spices in your holiday baking!
If you increase the amounts to make these yummy bars in a larger pan, make sure you do the math correctly. Don't ask how I know.
I reduced the sugar to 2/3 c and used the full egg to make up for the lost moisture. I also used ~3 t cardamom and mixed in with the flour, about double the jam, and skipped the nuts. They were very popular at my party and I will make it again!
This is the 2nd time I made these, and I’m still not sure I totally get it. I made a 1/2 batch this time, and 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) jam seems very skimpy for the amount of dough, certainly not enough to bubble around the edges. Both bake times seem too long. Perhaps I spread the dough too big, and thus thinner? We haven’t tried them yet, and I remember them being very tasty, but to me they look a bit sad and dry.