In Search Of: Delicious Baked Goods to Put to Good Use a Surplus of Handmade Jam

My pantry is overflowing with a lot of homemade preserves crafted from assorted berries – what are some bakes that would help me use it?
Anne-Lies, Holland

“Preserves are central to countless wonderful traditional desserts,” notes a baking consultant. Their first thought is to spoon a generous amount of your homemade jam into a prepared ovenproof dish and cover it with cake batter: “Make a traditional, equal-parts blend scaled to your dish by creaming roughly 180g unsalted butter and 180g sugar, adding a beaten egg and a touch of citrus zest or extract, and mixing through 180g self-rising flour.” Pour the batter on top of the jam and bake at 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5 until the sponge “is firm to the touch” and it’s fully cooked. Enjoy hot with cream or custard, and it’s perfection.

Another great use is jam to layer or garnish cakes. “Think of a light butter cake, but that doesn’t use much jam,” says a well-known food writer, who would be more inclined to spread frosting over the top of a moist cake, for example, hollow out a spot in the middle with the back of a spoon and drop a spoonful in there: “This is a lovely method to decorate a cake and it also helps reduce a decent amount of jam.” It wouldn’t hurt to use fruit preserves to top a classic simple sheet cake: “After baking, top with jam then sprinkle with toasted flakes.” Otherwise, you can’t go wrong in a nostalgic jam tart or traditional pastry.

Additionally, jam is a perfect partner of tea-time treats, with enthusiasts pointing out that thumbprint cookies are the way to go. Some opt for nutty meringues: “Whisk egg whites with sugar, ground nuts and orange peel until holdable to roll into balls, then toss in icing sugar.” Press a thumb in the centre, add the jam and bake: “You’ll get delectable, chewy and store nicely in a sealed container.” Meanwhile, Scottish classics are highly recommended: “Prepare a easy shortbread by creaming icing sugar and unsalted butter, then add plain flour – experiment with traditional and ancient grain – starch, seasoning and natural flavoring.” Pipe that, create a dip, spoon in jam and bake until the sides are golden-brown.

A spoonful of jam also brightens up the first meal of the day. In many households, that means oatmeal or Greek yogurt, while everyone ever said no to a re-baked croissant. “Split croissants in half and spread with jam. Cream 80g dairy butter and 80g sugar, incorporate an egg and 80g ground almonds, then add to your filled croissants, and add a layer, too.” Scatter sliced nuts, then get them in a 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5 oven for 20 minutes for a absolutely delicious morning.

While you might not get through baked goods you can eat (admittedly), so also consider spreading the love: “Put a nice bow on the jars and share them,” suggests a cook. “People adore an edible gift.” Another option, get a gang over, mix a teaspoon of jam into drinks – “paired with citrus and spirits,” – and keep that summer spirit alive.