Thinking Beyond Toast: The Best Uses for Jam

There are so many great conversations on the Hotline -- it's hard to choose a favorite. But we'll be doing it, once a week, to spread the wealth of our community's knowledge -- and to keep the conversation going.

Today: Jam is for so much more than just toast.

Maybe all of this fresh summer fruit has led to a canning frenzy, or maybe we simply overstocked at the grocery store. Whatever the case may be, there comes a time each year when we find ourselves staring at extra jars of jam, eager to use the sticky, sweet stuff, yet unable to imagine eating yet another piece of toast. What's one to do with all of those preserves?

Luckily, our community has some great ideas for using jam that don't involve slathering it on bread. Here are some of the best tips from the Hotline so far: 

• Bake, bake, bake! Jam is the ideal filling for thumbprint cookies and linzer tarts. It also makes a great addition to coffee or crumb cakes. 
• For an easy treat, whip up some raspberry squares following RespectThePastry's tried-and-true instructions: make an easy shortbread dough, top with a layer of preserves, sprinkle some more dough over top, and then bake until golden brown. 
• Use jam between the layers of a cake.
• Mix 1 cup of jam with 1 1/2 cups of butter to make a spread, as JanetFL suggests.

What's your favorite way to use jam? Add your two cents to the question on the Hotline here or continue the conversation in the comments below!