Blueberry Jam and Hazelnut Bars

These delicious and easy to make Blueberry Jam and Hazelnut Bars are made with homemade blueberry jam and hazelnuts. Don't have blueberry jam or hazelnuts? No problem, use your favourite jam and nut and put your own twist on these bars!

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I used to think that making homemade jam wasn't worth the effort. But I realized that if I made small batches that could be consumed within a few weeks, I could store the jam in the refrigerator and wouldn't have to sterilize the jars.

So I made my first batch of jam and I couldn't believe how easy and delicious it was. You only need three ingredients to make this delicious low-sugar blueberry jam.

Since then, I've made other jams but my favourite remains this blueberry jam.  The jam is delicious on fresh bread with a piece of brie or other cheese and is excellent stirred into yogurt or on top of vanilla ice cream.

Blueberry Jam Bars

I used my second batch of blueberry jam to make these jam bars. This recipe is inspired by a dessert that my mom makes. The bars are composed of two layers of what I can only describe as a cross between shortbread and cake and contain jam and nuts sandwiched in the centre of the layers.

In Arabic, this dessert is called 'Biscotta'. Since blueberries and hazelnuts pair so well, I decided to make a batch of these delicious Blueberry Jam and Hazelnut Bars.

How to Make Biscotta

These bars taste amazing, blueberry jam and hazelnuts work perfectly in this recipe. But since this recipe is super adaptable you can make it with other nut and jam combinations. Think strawberry jam with walnuts or raspberry jam combined with almonds.

Ingredients Overview:

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder and salt
• Unsalted butter
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract and lemon zest
• Blueberry jam or other jam of choice
• Hazelnuts. Toasted, skinned and roughly chopped.

Steps Overview:

Preheat the oven and line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt, whisk and set aside.

Whisk melted butter with the granulated sugar until they are well combined. Add the eggs, whisking to combine after each addition. Add in the vanilla and lemon zest and combine.

Add a third of the flour mixture and whisk to incorporate it into the batter, repeat with each third until all the flour is mixed in. Divide the dough into two portions, one just a bit larger than the other.

Keep the larger half to work with immediately and place the smaller portion in the refrigerator until you're ready to add the top portion of the bars.

Press the larger half onto the bottom of the pan, gently pressing down on the surface to make sure that the bottom layer is even.

Spread the blueberry jam on the bottom half and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.

Use the remaining dough to top the bars. Using the large holes of a box grater, run the dough across the grater to create a crumbled topping. Make sure to spread the topping evenly across the top of the bars.

Bake until the edges of the bars are golden, about 30 minutes. Cool pan on a rack for 20 minutes before cutting into evenly sized bars.

How to Serve

You can serve biscotta for dessert, but since they are light and not overly sweet, they also make a great snack and go perfectly with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

How to Store

These jam bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days. You can also freeze the bars in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!