Povidloň: Czech plum and quark cream pastry

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Choux pastry

   Bring the water, butter, and a pinch of salt to a boil. Gradually add the flour, stirring constantly, then stir the dough against the bottom of the pot for about 5 minutes, until it pulls away from the sides. Let cool until lukewarm.

2. Eggs

   Beat the eggs into the lukewarm dough one at a time, incorporating each thoroughly. Finally, beat in the baking powder.

3. Two pastry sheets

   Divide the dough in half. Spread each half on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and use the back of a spoon to make an uneven surface. Bake in an oven preheated to 200 °C (400 °F) until light brown, allowing the pastry to dry out so it will not collapse. Do not open the oven during baking. Let the pastry sheets cool.

4. Plum butter and cream

   Mix the plum butter with the rum and spread it over the bottom pastry sheet. Cut the top sheet into squares. Mix the quark with the vanilla sugar and powdered sugar to taste. Whip the cream with the stabilizer until stiff, then gently fold it into the quark.

5. Assembly

   Spread the cream over the plum butter and arrange the squares of the top pastry sheet over it. Refrigerate overnight, then cut all the way through the bottom layer with a wet knife and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

   Recipe by: Iva Vargová

Tip: Bake the pastry sheets until dry and light brown without opening the oven door—moist choux pastry would collapse as it cools. Spread the cream only on a completely cooled pastry sheet.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Staročeský povidloň s lekvárom a tvarohovou šľahačkou