Jams and preserves are also excellent as a topping to plain yoghurt and as cookie or hand pie fillings!

I have a Russian recipe for a simple dough made of butter, flour, and farmer cheese, then rolled out thin and stuffed with cherry jam into half-moon cookies. They are sooo good and sooo addictive! I've also made them with blueberry and apricot jam and all were delicious.

Toss a jar of preserves into your ice cream maker as it churns a vanilla base, and turn vanilla ice cream into strawberry or apricot without any extra work.

I love to put a spoonful of tart jam on top of a steamed couscous or quinoa with nuts, it adds a really delicious sweet note.

Linzer cookies (roll cut-out cookies, but cut a little hole in half of them, then make little sandwiches by pairing one un-holy half with one holy half and putting jam in between). Jam tarts (bake a tart shell, spread jam on the bottom, and either top with more fresh fruit or some kind of nut crumble thing).

You may want to pick up a copy of "Well Preserved" by Eugenia Bone as well -- she not only gives recipes for the preserves themselves, she also gives recipes for "well, now that you HAVE your apricot preserves, here are some recipes that CALL FOR apricot preserves". That can give other ideas for cooking with your preserves/jam/etc.

My sis spread cherry preserves in between layers of chocolate cake and whipped some into the frosting. It was a lovely pink thing and tasted amazing.

I personally like marmalade spooned over ricotta and eaten on grahm crackers.

I like mixing some savory ingredients (minced herbs, minced garlic, maybe some crushed red pepper) into a couple of tablespoons of sweet jam and using it as a glaze for chicken, pork, or lamb.

I used to work at a B and B and the owner used a recipe she had for cinnamon rolls and spread preserves instead of the butter/cinnamon mixture over the dough. It wasn't a cinnamon bun--the dough wasn't as "doughy"--a little flakier. Wish I had the recipe because they were always a success with the guests!

My new favorite is the Finnish oven-baked pancake pannukakku, which can be whipped up at a moment's notice, and topped with jam as well as savory cheeses or smoked fish (you get dinner and dessert!). For breakfast, these yeasted jam-filled kolaches are lovely, and much easier to make than you'd think. I've also riffed on family recipes to come up with good jam-filled hamantaschen and ruggelach cookies (the benefit of coming from Eastern European stock, where jam was probably the only fruit in season for the bulk of the year).

Jam drop cookies!

A thin layer of jam underneath fresh fruit in a galette!

VintageJenta,

That recipe sounds delish; I get blessed with fresh sour cherries every summer, and that sounds perfect! Would you pass it along?

My grandfather has been jarring his own jams since my mother was a toddler. I've grown up eating nothing but his strawberry and raspberry jams. Best yet, is that we picked the berries ourselves!

I always use the jam to top breakfast foods, whether it's french toast, a waffle, or toast. I've also used it as a topping for cheesecake!

When I have a craving for something sweet, I like to take out a sheet of puff pastry, dock it, and spread it with jam (I can strawberry, marionberry, blueberry, peach and apricot every summer).

Apricot jam mixed with roasted green chiles and jalapenos also makes a delicious glaze for pork shoulder (or tofu). My aunt sometimes makes apricot jelly with jalapeno and uses it to candy bacon.

I also mix it in cottage cheese.

Stir a spoonful into a cup of tea.

I mix my quince jam with hot chiles and use that as a glaze on chicken wings, pork, etc. Other than that, I give it all away! I love the process of making jam, but I don't really like eating it.

a tablespoon or two (per serving) thrown in the blender makes for amazing daquiris....just saying.

"secret" family recipe born out of a moment of desperation when unexpectedly forced to clean out a chest freezer before a cross-country move.

@kibitzknitz - I got the recipe from the Russian Heritage Cookbook (great read, if you can find it, and full of classic Russian-expat dishes). Here it is:

1/4 lb. sweet butter
1/4 lb. farmer cheese
1 cup flour
2/3 cups cherry jam

Cream butter with cheese. Stir in flour and knead until just smooth. Roll into a ball and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Roll out to 1/4" thick. Cut into 2 1/2" rounds. Put 1/2 teaspoon jam in center of each and pinch edges closed to form semi-circles.

Bake on a greased & floured cookie sheet at 350 F for approximately 20 minutes, or until slightly golden. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

*** Okay, my adaptations - I couldn't find farmer cheese, so I drained large-curd cottage cheese and then squished out as much of the liquid as I could with a strainer. I've tried subbing cream cheese and it makes the dough way too greasy.

I also used parchment paper because the crescents leak. A lot. In fact, I would maybe wet your finger and run it around half the circle to help glue it shut. Using a fork on the edges might help, too. Of course, I always like to put more than a 1/2 teaspoon of jam in each cookie, so that doesn't help either!

It's a really simple, easy, delicious recipe. The crust is really tender and doesn't need any sweetening because of the jam. I could easily see using the crust in savory pasties, too. Hope you enjoy it.

Pies and tartelettes. I'm a big fan of "pasta frola", which technically only accepts quince jam (pretty common where I live) but actually goes well with any preserves. With a dash of ground coconut and a glazing of sugar and water on top of the lattice.

Made on one big pie dish, or smaller one serving tartelette dishes (according to the amount and variety of jams the cook has).

Yummm...

I have a great chicken marinade that involves marmelade/jam, rosemary, and red wine vinegar. Quick and easy!

Just found this the other day and it is wonderful and amazingly simple. I use my George Foreman grill to save energy and prevent my house from heating up too much.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/05/grilled-chicken-sandwich-with-apricot-sauce/