Is your refrigerator packed with half-consumed jars of jam, jelly and preserves? At my house, it’s pretty much an occupational hazard. Even just writing about three products at a time for the Stock Up column, we can find ourselves with a dozen open jars taking up lots of refrigerator real estate, if we’re not diligent about spreading jelly on toast and jam on biscuits.
When I wrote about the tomato Creole jelly from Congaree and Penn, I found their recipe for Johnny Appleseed Shortbread Bars. I immediately adapted it to use up the remaining jelly. It was delicious, and easy: one bowl, no mixer needed. Small shortbread squares, just the right size to be an indulgence, but not over the top. They’re good with coffee for breakfast, or with a big glass of ice water or iced tea in the afternoon.
I could use any flavor of jam, jelly or preserves. Best of all, we could eat them up in just a few days, so no little shortbread squares went stale. And, when the cake plate was empty, it was a good excuse to make more, and clear away one more jar from the refrigerator.
I never looked back: homemade cherry preserves, elderberry jelly from a column a year ago (yes, that jar was hiding in the back of the refrigerator), apple butter purchased on a whim. And, I discovered that savory jellies, such as pepper jelly, work just as well as sweet spreads.
One thing I’ve learned, in making multiple batches, is that the texture of the butter determines the texture of the dough. You can make it with cold butter, as the original recipe calls for, and the result is flakes of butter that give you a short, tender pastry. Make it with room temperature butter, and the result is more cake-like. Either way, it works perfectly, and is delicious.
Credit: C. W. Cameron
Credit: C. W. Cameron
Adapted from a recipe from Congaree and Penn.
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