Fruit preserves are one of the kitchen pantry’s most quietly magical ingredients. Thick and full of real fruit bits, it’s almost like a crushed fruit sauce that’s been cooked down with sugar. In my suggestions below, I mainly call for fruit preserves, but in some cases jam works too — especially if a smoother finish makes the best fit for your project. Add peach preserves to pound cake batter for swirls of sticky-sweet golden fruit that cut through the cake’s richness. Fruit preserves aren’t simply pantry staples; they’re a potent source of flavor with a very long shelf life and big personality.