Sárgabarack Lekvár (Apricot Fruit Butter)

Writer and recipe developer Sarah Copeland describes lekvár as a cross between preserves and fruit butter — spreadable, with soft chunks of fruit throughout. She serves it on palacsinta (Hungarian pancakes) and says the sweet and tangy apricot butter is also often given as a gift to dear friends and neighbors. Likening it to bringing someone an expensive bottle of wine, Copeland says lekvár is a treasured, love gift that most Hungarians know how to make, but are always touched when it’s received as a gift. Apricot lekvár holds a special memory for Copeland: When they were first dating and during the first years of marriage, she and her husband, Andre, were always sent home from a visit to Hungary with two jars of apricot lekvar made by her mother-in-law.

It begins with fresh ripe apricots, but not overly so, that cook down easily to a loose consistency that’s very chunky. Once the apricots have stewed they’re lightly mashed and pop with bright fruit flavor in this recipe. Their freshness is amplified by the sugar and a hit of lemon juice in this cross between preserves and fruit butter. Copeland describes the lekvár texture as a little bit softer than eating an extremely ripe apricot. It’s delicious on Copeland’s Hungarian pancakes, but would also be delicious on toast, on a cheese board, or anywhere else you like to serve jam.