Orange and Apricot Jam Squares

Ever had one of those weeks when you feel as though you are having to put up with a lot of nonsense? Well, I feel as though I am there at the moment, and to combat that I am sharing my recipe for good old fashioned no nonsense jam squares. A classic but a goodie. Enough said.

On a happier note, my daughter celebrates her fifth birthday today, hooray! The time really does fly... Birthday celebrations always mean baking and I sent her to school this morning with a flower cake to share with her classmates. Happy days! I have also been developing some baking recipes for a client so as you can tell baking has been the theme in the Cupcakes and Couscous kitchen lately. 

These jam squares have a soft, buttery shortbread base, a sweet layer of apricot deliciousness and a satisfyingly crisp topping to sink your teeth into. All that is missing is a good cup of tea! 

For the filling I used a gorgeous apricot jam from The Bakery at Jordan which was given to me recently, it really is delicious. After scouring the middle shelf of my fridge the other day I realised that I get given a lot of jam and I always seem to have an endless supply despite never procuring the jars myself. Hey, no complaints from me and all the more reason to whip up a batch of tasty jam squares.

Cook's note: I used a small rectangular roasting pan (28cm x 18cm) to make the squares. You can use a smaller pan if that is what you have, but bear in mind that the squares will be a lot thicker. 

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ORANGE AND APRICOT JAM SQUARES

Makes 24 squares

For the shortbread base:

200g butter, softened
100g castor sugar
150g flour
100g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
⅓ cup smooth apricot jam

For the topping:

100g butter
½ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup desiccated coconut
1 tsp finely grated orange zest

Step 1.) Preheat your oven to 170°C. Grease and line your baking tin. 

Step 2.) Start by making the base. Cream the butter and castor sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the flour, cornflour and baking powder. Beat for a minute, then use your hands to bring the mixture together. 

Step 3.) Press the dough into the tin in an even layer. Spread the apricot jam over the shortbread base layer. Set the tray aside. 

Step 4.) Place all of the topping ingredients in a bowl. Use your fingertips to rub everything together until evenly combined. Crumble small clumps of the topping over the jam layer as evenly as you can. 

Step 5.) Pop the tin in the oven and bake for 40 minutes until the topping is golden. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin and cutting into squares.