These jam diagonals are one of my all-time favorite family treats. My family’s made them forever during the spring holy days, but they’re also the perfect spring or summer treat for brunch, a baby or wedding shower, tea party, or any special occasion…they’re just so pretty!
And even better, they’re super easy.
These are always a treat because we typically only had them during the Days of Unleavened Bread (the week following Passover), when we’re supposed to eat unleavened bread, so we look for recipes that don’t have yeast, baking powder, etc. [Editor’s note: this is not true for certain types of Jewish people, since their definition of leavening includes wheat flour.]
Usually these are some of the prettiest treats around…my most recent batches didn’t live up to the delicate pastel beauty of my mom’s!
See, I’ve been having trouble recently with the dough’s texture, and I played around with it a little. It’s still a little more delicate than I’d like (and hard to get into pretty “ropes”), but still absolutely delicious and quite easy.
In terms of flavors, the sky’s the limit. I’m partial to strawberry, grape, and apricot jam myself. My sister has made this with lime curd and used a lime glaze instead of lemon. I also just tried it with passionfruit jam and it was amazing.
Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, cream the butter until white and fluffy, about 1 minute. Then gradually add the sugar and beat for 4-5 minutes, until very smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla as well.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour (and add the salt), until it is blended in and a soft chunky/crumbly dough (but workable). Add the flour a little at a time to make sure it doesn’t get *too* dry.
Divide the dough into thirds. Squeeze and roll the dough together with your hands into 9-inch logs or ropes (or whatever fits on your cookie sheet pan).
With your index finger, make shallow depression down the center of each rope (the ropes will flatten and may crumble a bit, just gently press them together). Depending on the texture of your dough and how crumbly it is, making it pretty may be difficult. But it will still be delicious.
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Fill the depression with a jam or curd of your choice.
Bake at 325 F for 15 to 20 minutes. The cookies should be only slightly browned on the edges. Cool completely.
Whisk together the icing ingredients and drizzle over the jam logs in a criss-cross pattern.
When the icing is set, cut on a diagonal into one-inch cookies. This is important, as they’re called jam diagonals, not “jam straights” π
They’ll be a bit delicate and prone to breaking, but that doesn’t make them any less delicious!
*SIGH* Seriously one of my favorites!!! I mean, jam, shortbread, and glaze…what’s not to love?!
Other unleavened* desserts you’ll love:
- A Flourless Chocolate Cake…That’s Not Too Sweet
- Whole Wheat Cranberry Pistachio Orange Shortbread Cookies
- Lemon Almond Apricot Mascarpone Tart
- Slightly Sweet Unleavened Bread
Jam Diagonals
We typically double this recipe
Pastry
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 1/4 cup of white sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- You may need a tablespoon of milk to bring it together
- Whatever jams, jellies, curds, etc. you want to use
Glaze
- 4 teaspoons of lemon juice (or lime)
- 3/4 cup of powdered sugar
- Tiny pinch of salt
- If you need to thin it a little, you can use a TINY bit of milk
- Feel free to add some lemon or lime zest as well
- Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, cream the butter until white and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Gradually add the sugar and beat for 4-5 minutes, until very smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla as well.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour (and add the salt), until it is blended in and a soft chunky/crumbly dough (but workable).
- Divide the dough into thirds. Squeeze and roll the dough together with your hands into 9-inch logs or ropes (or whatever fits on your cookie sheet pan).
- With your index finger, make shallow depression down the center of each rope (the ropes will flatten and may crumble a bit, just gently press them together). Fill the depression with a jam or curd of your choice.
- Bake at 325 F for 15 to 20 minutes. The cookies should be only slightly browned on the edges. Cool completely.
- Prepare the icing and drizzle over the jam logs in a criss-cross pattern. When the icing is set, cut diagonally into one-inch cookies. This is important, as they’re not called “Jam Straights” π
* Editor’s note: this is not true for certain types of Jewish people, since their definition of leavening includes wheat flour. We define leavening by actual leavening agents such as yeast, baking soda, baking powder, etc.
Jam Diagonals (Unleavened)
These pretty and delicious jam diagonals are easy and perfect for a spring brunch, shower, or other special occasion. They are also unleavened (in that they don't have any leavening agent). We typically double this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 1/4 cup of white sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- You may need a tablespoon of milk to bring it together
- Whatever jams, jellies, curds, etc. you want to use for filling
- 4 teaspoons of lemon juice (or lime) for glaze
- 3/4 cup of powdered sugar
- Tiny pinch of salt
- If you need to thin it a little, you can use a TINY bit of milk
- Feel free to add some lemon or lime zest as well
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, cream the butter until white and fluffy, about 1 minute. - Gradually add the sugar and beat for 4-5 minutes, until very smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla as well.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour (and add the salt), until it is blended in and a soft chunky/crumbly dough (but workable).
- Divide the dough into thirds. Squeeze and roll the dough together with your hands into 9-inch logs or ropes (or whatever fits on your cookie sheet pan).
- With your index finger, make shallow depression down the center of each rope (the ropes will flatten and may crumble a bit, just gently press them together). Fill the depression with a jam or curd of your choice.
- Bake at 325 F for 15 to 20 minutes. The cookies should be only slightly browned on the edges. Cool completely.
- Prepare the icing and drizzle over the jam logs in a criss-cross pattern. When the icing is set, cut diagonally into one-inch cookies. This is important, as they're not called "Jam Straights" π
Notes
- Editor's note: this is not true for certain types of Jewish people, since their definition of leavening includes wheat flour.Β We define leavening by actual leavening agents such as yeast, baking soda, baking powder, etc.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 pieceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 110
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Ohhh drool..
I’ve made somthing similar before. Really soooo good π
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Just wondering how these can be kosher for Passover since they have flour in them?
Hi Genie! We interpret the bible’s definition of “leavening” as just that–leavening agents like baking powder, baking soda, and yeast (it would have been natural yeast back then, obviously). Basically things used to make the bread rise. I’ve heard the Jewish traditions have more to do with grains and I’m not as familiar with all the ins and outs of it (though just went down a Wikipedia rabbit hole!), but it’s safe to say that most of the unleavened recipes on this site will still have flour in them (though some are more almond flour-based, not sure if that makes a difference). Hope that helps!
Matzo is made with wheat flour and water. If you make your own matzo you have to use flour. The idea of using regular flour instead of matzo ground up into a fine grain to bake with came from modern jews who realize its about the leaven and not the grain. Now let me add during our Seders we are commanded to eat matzo with the bitter herbs. I hope this sheds a little light on the subject.
Nice recipe. Not kosher for Passover for the vast majority of Jews, though. Flour is off the list regardless of leavening agent.
Yep, get that though even after 12 years in Atlanta working with lots of Jewish people it’s still fairly confusing from a bible standpoint π But for the folks in my church it’s perfect for Passover since it has no leavening and that’s how we keep it. It would be great for a baby shower or Mother’s Day brunch too if it doesn’t fit your Passover parameters!
Doesn’t all unleavened bread have flour in it? Just add nothing that would make it rise, except eggs, and get it in the oven quickly for it to be Kosher?
Hi Penny! So I think it depends on who you ask. I grew up with unleavened bread that uses the actual definition of leavening/a leavening agent (so what makes it rise), so yes, it would always include flour. When I moved to Atlanta after college, I worked with a lot of Jewish people and learned that the way they keep unleavened bread is different. I can’t claim to understand it exactly so hesitate to try explaining it, but the people I knew (who are NOT terribly observant) stayed away from most flour, like corn, wheat, etc. (one girl explained it’s because it “rises up out of the ground”), and that included pasta and such. But matzo was okay because it was okayed by the rabbi? Honestly I don’t fully understand it and would have to ask them for a better explanation but for me, unleavened bread is just bread without a leavening agent π
This recipe is NOT unleavened, as it contains FLOUR, which is STRICTLY fobidden on Passover. Passover is 8 days long. There’s not a day of Passover followed by a week of not observing the kashruth, or Kosher laws. I know what I talk about. My family was Orthodox for many, many years. When our Shul (in case you have no idea what that is, it’s a synagogue.) Became conservative so did all our families. My grandfather, in the 1920’s was an 8th generation Chazzan, or Cantor in our Shul.
Please don’t insult our intelligence by professing to be Jewish when you obviously are not!! Look up the kosher laws and all holidays ESPECIALLY Passover
Thank you!!
Hi Hinda, thank you for your note. I’m aware that strictOrthodox Jews define leavening differently than the dictionary does and differently than the leavened bread of the Old Testament is described, and as you’ll note I didn’t claim to be Jewish. I’m Christian and keep the holy days laid out in the bible as well as the Sabbath, so am not ethnically or religiously Jewish. I keep the Days of Unleavened Bread based on the definition of leavening which is the fermentation or raising agent in baking, such as yeast, baking powder, natural fermentation, etc. I apologize if this somehow offended you and am not sure how it was meant to insult your intelligence…my assumption is that those who keep Passover based on kosher Jewish rules/texts are very aware that if the recipe uses flour then it doesn’t work for them, the way that people who keep it like me know that this works for them. I’ve added a clarification note in the post though I’m not sure why there would be confusion if you know how you define/keep things.
Im not sure how many people know that even the air we breath has yeast in it. Thank you for not taking offense even after others have. You explained the way we believe so graciously. Thank you and thank you for this recipe Im making during the week of unleavened.
Havenβt tried it yet. Wondering if there should be an egg in this recipe?
Update, just made the Jam diagonals. Your posted recipe did not list an egg, but it needed one to make
a dough, so I added one egg. They turned out great.
Hey Sharon! That’s so interesting…the recipe as we make it has never had an egg or egg yolk to make the dough and it works just fine, though I definitely can understand how it would make it richer and moister. But definitely shouldn’t be necessary from a texture standpoint.
Please check the posted ingredients listed. Using the ingredients listed makes more a crumble that
does not hold together. Maybe there is an error in the amount of an ingredient. I tripled checked each
step as I went along. There needs to be some sort of moisture added. Maybe milk? Anyway, the Jam
diagonals turned out great.
Hey Sharon, glad they turned out great with some tweaks π I tried the recipe again (it’s been a few years) and the same thing happened to me, and my sister said the same thing had happened to her last time. It’s super weird because my mom and sisters and I have used that recipe my whole life! So after taking another try, I’ve made some initial changes to the amounts of the recipe that should at least make it much better. And I’m going to keep playing with it!
I made the Jam Diagonals to take to church services tomorrow for Last Day of Unleavened Bread. The recipe turned out looking beautiful and the batter tasted so delicious we were licking the mixer beaters.π. I feel you must be a member of an church of God group. I am COGWA. Enjoy your Feast days and thank you for sharing with us all.
Yes, I am π These have been a favorite in my family for Days of Unleavened Bread my entire life! I hope your holy days have been wonderful.