Plum and Apricot Fillings

Powidła, or lekvar, is a thick, sweet paste made from small blue Italian or prune plums. It is one of the best fruit fillings for cookies and cakes because it doesn’t spread the way jam tends to.

The traditional method made with fresh fruit requires three days of boils, reductions, bakes, and sugar additions. It’s a lot of work, and I’m just gonna tell you: It’s devastating to get to day two, look aside for just a moment and— wham!—your powidła is burned and ruined. But there