This recipe for Walnut and Jam Bars, also called Hungarian Londoni Szelet, comes from Transylvania. The rosehip jam and walnuts are the stars of this wonderful recipe you can make for any occasion, from lazy Sundays to holidays.
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I am pleased to finally share with you a recipe that is the closest to my heart. The recipe comes from my grandmother, Herta, who used to make it very often. She made these bars using walnuts from the walnut tree growing in the backyard and rose hip jam she was making from scratch.
My grandma is not around anymore, but the 100-year-old walnut tree is still alive, and the walnuts are delicious!
I know it doesn't mean anything to you, but for me, that image is the same as the memories I have of the summers spent in that part of the world while growing up. One of my favorite pictures is the one below with the walnuts on the grass.
This dessert recipe is Hungarian, but it was adopted by many generations of Romanians, Hungarians, and Saxons living in Transylvania. You can also find it under different names.
My grandmother was German, so she called this recipe Szekler Kuchen. Schneider Kuchen is another name for this delicious dessert. In Hungarian, it is called Londoni Szelet; in Romanian, it is called either Prajitura London or Prajitura cu gem si nuca.
It took me a while to get these bars right because my grandmother never wrote the recipe down. Another family member shared it with me, but the instructions were vague at best.
That's how many recipes used to be. They were passed from one generation to the next, learned by watching and doing, not by measuring and documenting. It was always a pinch of this, a spoonful of that, a handful of flour until the dough "felt right." Those kinds of directions only make sense if you grew up in the kitchen beside someone who already knew what they were doing.
Recreating it today meant translating instinct into measurements, so anyone can make these bars with confidence.
The bars have three layers: a delicious shortbread crust, a layer of jam, and a layer of meringue and walnuts, all baked to perfection.
In the Fagaras region, where my grandmother lived in Transylvania, this recipe is traditionally made with rosehip jam.
Why Rosehip Jam Works So Well Here
Rosehip comes from the wild dog rose (Rosa canina), a plant that grows abundantly in parts of Eastern Europe, including Transylvania. The fruit is naturally high in vitamin C and has a distinct sweet-tart flavor.
In traditional Romanian baking, rosehip jam is often used because it isn't overly sweet. It has a bright acidity that balances rich, buttery dough beautifully. That balance is exactly what these bars need.
The base is tender and slightly sweet, so a tart jam prevents the dessert from becoming cloying. Rosehip delivers that contrast naturally.
If you can't find rosehip jam, choose something on the tart side like sour cherry, apricot, raspberry, blackberry, or lingonberry all work well. Avoid very sweet jams, as they will overpower the bars and flatten the flavor.
These bars are meant to taste balanced: sweet, slightly tangy, and jammy in the center. They're easy to slice, travel well, and make a wonderful addition to holiday tables, potlucks, or simple weekend baking.
Ingredients Needed
For the Crust:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Unsalted cold butter cut into small cubes
- Egg
Jam layer:
- Fruit jam- You need a tart jam, not very sweet, like rosehip, plum, lingonberry, apricot
Walnuts topping:
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Zest from one lemon
- Salt
- Ground walnuts
How To Make
While you can definitely make the shortbread crust by hand, I chose to use a food processor.
Step 1. Ground the walnuts in the food processor.
Step 2. Make the crust. The unsalted butter has to be very cold, directly from the fridge. Start by measuring all the ingredients and gathering them together.
To make the crust, put the dry ingredients in the food processor and add the butter. Pulse 3-4 times or until you obtain a dough that has a sandy texture. Add the egg and pulse a few more times until you obtain a dough.
Shape the dough into a thick disk, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 3. Make the walnut topping: I used the same food processor to make the cream. Place the eggs, sugar, and zest of lemon in the food processor and pulse a few times until the mixture looks frothy.
Incorporate the ground walnuts and mix until you obtain a creamy mixture.
Step 4. Assemble the pan and bake: Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Lightly flour the dough and the table surface and roll the dough to the size of a 9x13 inch (23/33cm) baking pan. Place the dough in the baking pan.
Spread a layer of jam over it. Spread the walnut mixture over the jam. Place the baking pan inside the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
Let the pan cool on a rack, then cut the bars into squares and serve them.
How To Store
I hope they do not last too long, as they are amazing and everyone will love them. However, these bars can last for about two weeks if you keep them at room temperature in an air-tight container.
This is awesome if you ask me because you can bake them in advance. They are insanely decadent, rich, and so good that you will not be able to stop after only one piece. You can make the recipe for potlucks, picnics, holidays, or any Sunday family meal.
Perfect with coffee. This is how my grandmother used to serve this dessert.
She used to bake something once or twice a week. Bars, cookies, or tarts, did not matter. It was all about what ingredients she had available.
The baked goods were kept in the pantry and enjoyed during the week with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, especially with friends or family who would stop for a short visit once in a while.
If you are curious about the recipe, I dare you to bake it and tell me if you like it. It is easy to make and very delicious. If you have a major sweet tooth, this dessert is for you.
More bars recipes
- Meringue Farmer Cheese Bars
- Austrian Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars
- Czech Bars With Jam and Walnuts
- Walnut Cake With Egg Yolk Glaze
- Seven Layers Bars
- Apricot Oat Bars Recipe
- Best Pumpkin Pie Bars With Pecan Crumble
Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Walnut and Jam Bars -Hungarian Londoni Szelet
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted cold butter cut into small cubes
- 1 large egg
Jam layer:
- 14 ounces fruit jam You need a tart jam, not very sweet, like rosehip, plum, lingonberry, apricot
Walnuts topping:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- zest from one lemon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups ground walnuts
Instructions
Make the crust:
If you make the dough by hand:
- In a bowl, place flour, salt, and sugar together. Add cubed cold butter and work it into the flour mixture with your fingers or a pastry tool until you obtain a sandy mixture.
- Add egg and knead them together until you obtain a dough.
If you use a food processor:
- In a food processor, place flour, salt, and sugar together.
- Add butter and pulse 3-4 times or until you obtain a dough that has a sandy texture.
- Add egg and pulse a few more times until you obtain a dough.
- Shape the dough into a thick disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Make the Walnuts Topping:
- Beat the eggs until frothy, then add the sugar and the zest of the lemon. Beat again until creamy. Incorporate the ground walnuts.
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
Assemble the bars:
- Lightly flour the dough and the table surface and roll the dough to the size of a 9x13 inch(23/33cm) baking pan.
- Place the dough in the baking pan.
- Spread a layer of jam over it.
- Spread the walnut mixture over the jam.
- Place the baking pan inside the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
- When cool, cut in squares and serve. This bars should be kept room temperature in a dry, cool place(closed container). They last about 14 days.
Katie says
Thank you for this recipe. Making 1/2 recipe now with sour cherry jam. The lemon zest in the walnut topping is just perfect.
Nicola says
I'm of Hungarian descent and love making all things Hungarian. This is one of my favorite desserts to make! So delicious! The rosehip really does make this unique. Sadly it is hard to come by here, and this year shipping was too pricey. I'm currently making one with apricot and I'm sure it will be amazing as well.
Gabriela says
I hear you, rosehip jam is a real treat if you can find it. However, some other jams work as well and apricot is a good one.
Rich Wagner says
I just made this and it’s GREAT. My Mom used to make this (she was German and my Dad - I swear - was from Transylvania). My Mom always used the traditional ground walnuts for the meringue. I however used walnuts only on the left side. A meringue with ground sunflower seeds is on the right side. I get migraines and nuts are a trigger, but seeds are “safe”. I am VERY pleased to report that the sunflower-based meringue is just as good (if not better than) the walnut. The walnut meringue has a bit of a nutty aftertaste, but the sunflower-based meringue doesn’t have any aftertaste at all, and I actually like it better.
Anyway, thanks for publishing this!!! I didn’t get the recipe from my Mom, so finding this meant I could make it myself, after having Mom’s about 45 years ago; LOL.
Gabriela says
This is awesome, thank you for taking the time to write about your creation. I never thought to replace walnuts with sunflower seeds in this recipe, but I am too European for that! 🙂 Walnuts are my way to0 go! I am also really happy you liked the recipe and promised to make it again! It is my favorite recipe on the blog!