Scottish Fruit Slice, Fruit Squares, Flies’ Cemetery or Flies’ Graveyard (Oh My!)

Scottish fruit slice is a classic Scottish teatime treat filled with dried fruit and fresh apple. Give it a try and you’ll understand its huge appeal.

If you went into a Scottish bakery and asked for a piece of flies’ cemetery or flies’ graveyard, you probably wouldn’t be met with a strange look. Instead, you’d be presented with a slice of this tasty and unique pastry–properly named: fruit slice or fruit squares.

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It’s true–Scottish fruit slice has two very unappetizing nicknames simply because of the fruit inside. Fly’s cemetery and fly’s graveyard (or shouldn’t it be flies’ graveyard?) refers to the raisins and currants which compose the fruit filling. It sort of looks like it could be a mass of dead flies! But don’t let the nicknames turn you off as it’s a firm favourite of Scots.

Another fruity Scottish recipe!

It probably will be one of yours, too, once you take a bite. I recently had someone ask me for the recipe as her mother used to make it, but she’d lost the recipe.

I’m currently back in Scotland, and have had fruit slice a couple of times already. It really is one of those things that tastes so much better than it looks!

Another British pastry with a similar filling: Eccles Cakes!

My mother used to make this on a regular basis when I was growing up. She made it when she was visiting me in LA this past winter and I took a few shots of her preparing it. Not the best pictures, as it wasn’t planned, but I think you’ll be able to pull this off even without seeing photos. It’s a really simple treat!

• 12 oz (1 2/3 c) raisins
• 4 oz (1/2 c) Zante currants
• 1 medium Granny Smith (or sour cooking apple), chopped into small pieces
• 6 oz (1 cup) brown sugar
• 1 recipe of short crust pastry  (recipe card below)
• 1 egg, beaten, to brush the top (optional, if you want to omit egg from the recipe)
• caster sugar or Baker’s Sugar to dust the top

One 9×13 inch baking tray

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F (215°C)

Begin by stirring the dried fruit, chopped apple and brown sugar together in a bowl. Set aside.

Cut the pastry in half, and roll out the first half on a sheet of waxed (greaseproof) or parchment paper thinly (about 1/8″) into a rectangle to line the bottom of the pan (about 11″ x 15″). Trim the rough edges.

Put the filling into the pastry lined pan.

Roll out the other half of the pastry to cover the top. Wet the edge of the bottom pastry, then carefully lift the second pastry layer and place on top of the fruit. Press edges together to seal.

Lightly mark the top into squares or slices, then brush the top with the beaten egg and sprinkle the caster/Baker’s Sugar over the top. Bake near the middle of the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

When completely cool, cut into squares or slices.

Serve with a hot cup of tea!

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