Peanut Butter & Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Your favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwich meets thumbprint cookie: a soft and buttery cookie packed with peanut butter flavor and filled with a bright and fruity strawberry jam.

These bite-sized peanut butter thumbprint cookies are filled with a dollop of bright strawberry jam (but you can use whatever kind of jam you have on hand, or even opt for a chocolate or caramel filling, yum!) The peanut butter-packed dough comes together in minutes and can be baked right away—no chilling required!

If you’re anything like me, you have a pantry full of homemade jam, and have also realized that, aside from the occasional charcuterie board or peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you really don’t consume all that much jam (guilty as charged… I like making it—and giving it away—more than I like eating it).

That’s why I’m all about creative recipes using jam, or jams in action if you will. From desserts like these jam-filled thumbprints, to savory dishes like marmalade-roasted chicken and jammy baked brie puffs, if you’ve got a partial jar of jam that needs to be used, I’ve got you covered!

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Blueberry Banana Bread

Banana bread meets blueberry muffin in this fabulously fruity morning mashup that’s quick and easy (there’s a reason they’re called quick breads after all, no electric mixer required!)

This moist, tender, and flavorful banana bread is studded with fresh blueberries (but frozen works too!) and drizzled with a vibrant blueberry glaze for a fruity twist on a morning staple.

Last year’s strawberry banana bread was downright delightful, so I figured, why not do a blueberry version?

Not only is it less work than the strawberry version, but since blueberries have a lower water content and are more ‘contained’ in their own little skins, the whole macerate/syrup step isn’t needed, just a quick toss with some flour then fold the berries straight into the banana bread batter.

At this point, I’ve got banana bread recipes for every season: strawberry for spring, blueberry for summer, pumpkin banana bread for fall, and for winter might I suggest my double chocolate banana bread or even black sesame swirl banana bread (trust me it’s lovely!)

I’ve also got recipes for banana bread muffins if that’s more your style (and know that any banana bread recipe, including this one, can easily be made in muffin form! For reference 1 standard sized loaf is equal to about 12 muffins.)

Question though, how many banana bread recipes is too many? 🤔 Does such a limit even exist?

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Meyer Lemon Curd (Extra Thick!)

This tart and tangy Meyer lemon curd is extra thick (thanks to the extra thickening power of cornstarch), with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel and a perfect balance of tart and sweet.

There are few things more satisfying than a classic lemon curd. Whether you use it as cake filling, ice cream flavoring, or morning yogurt enhancer, this bright lemon curd is as easy to prepare as it is delicious, no double boiler needed! The addition of cornstarch ensures it’ll set up perfectly thick every time.

Lemon curd is absolutely lovely on its own eaten by the spoonful (no judgement here!) but also makes for a divine component of myriad other desserts, from cake to cupcakes to ice cream and more (scroll to the bottom of this post for more ideas!)

My favorite lemon curd is made with Meyer lemons for a bright and tangy flavor that’s sweeter and more complex than typical lemon curd, with notes of vanilla, mandarin and orange blossom. I may be biased, but I think Meyer lemons are far superior to regular lemons in almost all cases.

Extracting as much flavor as possible from the whole lemons means using both the zest and the juice, the zest is massaged into the granulated sugar which draws out the flavorful oils from the peels. This, even more than the juice, is what gives this lemon curd its ultra bright flavor.

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Triple Lemon Layer Cake

Lemon lovers: this one’s for you! Layers of light and buttery lemon cake (the reverse-cream method produces a particularly cotton-soft texture that’s perfect for layering), a bright lemon curd filling (extra thick so it says put), and a silky smooth lemon buttercream for a flavor-packed lemon cake even non-lemon-lovers will adore.

Layer upon layer of lovely lemon flavor, this lemon cake has three times the lemon flavor for three times the deliciousness! With a filling of tart and tangy Meyer lemon curd sandwiched between layers of tender lemon cake, all covered with a cloud-like lemon Swiss meringue buttercream that’s straight out of a dream, this cake is proof that there is no such thing as too much lemon.

When life gives you lemons (and by life I mean mom, who sent me an enormous box filled with Meyer lemons from her tree without any heads up or warning) make an epic lemon layer cake that’s loaded with luscious lemon flavor.

I’ll admit, I’m not usually a lemon dessert person (I’ll choose the chocolate dessert over the lemon one almost every time), but this cake really is something special, three layers of soft lemon-scented cake with a bright lemon curd and finished with the silkiest lemon buttercream you’ve ever tasted. It’s the perfect balance of tart lemon and sweetness.

Looks like I might just be a lemon lover after all!

I particularly love Meyer lemons, which have a sweeter flavor and less harsh acidity that makes them perfect for baking (and I’ve got plenty of other Meyer lemon dessert recipes to prove it!) but you can use regular lemons in this recipe as well.

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15 Unique Strawberry Jam Recipes

Looking for something more exciting than plain ol’ strawberry jam? I’ve got you covered! These 15 unique recipes include multi-fruit mashups and fabulous flavor combinations that will take your homemade strawberry jam from ordinary to extraordinary!

Strawberries are one of the most versatile fruits when it comes to jam. They are definitely one of my favorite fruits to jam-ify, as should be obvious by the sheer number of different strawberry jam recipes I’ve shared over the years.

But what makes strawberries so perfect for jam? Their bold and recognizable flavor and gorgeous ruby-red color makes them the perfect starting point for myriad flavor combinations and variations, from sweet to spicy to boozy and beyond.

Some of these recipes can be only found in my cookbook, That’s My Jam, which, if you’re looking for more beyond-the-ordinary jam recipes, is a perfect place to start! For others, like my favorite strawberry hibiscus jam, the book has an updated version of the recipe (a lower sugar version with Pomona’s pectin, compared to the ‘old-fashioned’ style recipe originally published on the blog).

Better yet, ALL of these recipes (and all the recipes in the book!) include free printable labels, some also have editable templates available for you to customize (and don’t hesitate to reach out if you want an edible version of any of my past designs, I’ve been slowly creating editable versions of everything and would be happy to bump something to the top of the list upon request!)

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Classic Strawberry Jam, 3 Ways (Old Fashioned, Regular Pectin, and Low-Sugar Pectin)

Homemade strawberry jam is perfect in its simplicity, bright and sweet and bursting with strawberry flavor, no matter if you water-bath process it for shelf stable storage, refrigerate or freeze it, or eat it straight out of the jar with a spoon.

This post is jam-packed (pun intended) with all the info you need to make your perfect strawberry jam, comparing the different types of pectins and the pros and cons of each with recipes, as well a recipe for a traditional, old-fashioned jam with no added pectin.

Welcome to my treatise on strawberry jam, my jamifesto if you will.

The fact I managed to write over 4,500 words (!!) about strawberry jam should tell you just how passionate I am on the subject (at this point I’ve accepted that my personality is just… jam. Case in point, this purse that I picked up last week that is just TOO perfect 😍😍😍… how did Kate know I spent the entire weekend before making batch after batch of strawberry jam??)

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know I’m not one to make “plain” anything. Plain chocolate cake? How about a red wine chocolate cake instead? Plain chocolate chip cookies? Stuff ’em with ganache.

And plain strawberry jam? The fact that I’ve got a dozen unique strawberry jam recipes with flavorful additions, interesting infusions and clever combinations like strawberry limoncello, strawberry hibiscus, and guava strawberry jam to name a few, and even more in my cookbook, should tell you something about my personal feelings on ‘plain’ or boring jam flavors.

So why am I here posting a recipe for plain ol’ strawberry jam?

Well, I figure it’d be a good opportunity to wax poetic about jam in general and just what you can expect from different styles of jam and brands of pectin. These lessons can be applied to any kind of jam, not just strawberry but other kinds of fruits as well.

(Psst! Don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom of this post to download these adorable printable jar labels, absolutely free!)

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Guava Strawberry Jam

Strawberry and guava come together in one fruit-packed preserve that’s bright, fruity, and vibrant, with a perfect amount of sugar and plenty of acid to make the flavors pop.

The unique pairing of strawberry and guava makes for a truly memorable jam, whether you can it in a water bath for shelf-stable storage, or store it in the fridge or freezer for short term satisfaction (or, you know, eat it by the spoonful straight out of the pot).

Multi-fruit jams are… well, my jam.

Single fruit jams are just so… boring. If you know me, you know I love unique flavor combinations, especially when it comes to my jam recipes. Whether it is the addition of an unexpected flavor, like hibiscus or vanilla bean, basil or even chocolate, a splash of something boozy like limoncello, bourbon or gin, or a hint of heat from habanero or jalapeño.

But more than anything I love mixing fruits and flavors into unexpected fruit combinations. Like mango and raspberry, peach and passionfruit, or blackberry and apple.

But listen, this strawberry and guava jam might just be my favorite fruity combination yet.

Pink guavas have a sweet, musky fragrance with tropical notes of papaya, melon, strawberry and ripe pear… and even a little bit of bubblegum if we’re being honest. Paired with the bright berry flavor of the strawberry the combination is almost candy-like, sweet and bright with the perfect amount of acidity to balance out the sweetness.

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