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!
Scottish Fruit Slice or Squares
loosely adapted by Christina Conte from a Lofty Peak recipe – makes 12 large or 18 small slices
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
*Note: you can use any 1 lb combination of similar dried fruit, including sultanas, cherries, etc.
- 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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Scottish Fruit Slice, Fruit Squares, Fly Cemetery or Fly's Graveyard (Oh My!)
A very traditional Scottish pastry filled with dried raisins, currants and apples. Doesn't look nearly as good as it tastes!
Ingredients
- 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 short crust pastry (printable 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
Instructions
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 a 9"x13" baking pan (about 11" x 15"). Trim the rough edges.
- Add 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.
Notes
Link to short crust pastry recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 223Total Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 3g
~PIN FOR LATER~
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I add chopped dates too, delicious
That would be good! :)
I’m at moment sitting in lounge in small town near Stirling Scotland. Believe it or not it’s snowing yes snowing in April…ah well still beautiful..Just finished making “Fleas Graveyards” as we call it…been making and eating them for about sixty years .. This is a big favourite in Scotland…
Ooh, lucky you, Elsa! I wish I could join you! Thank you so much for your comment! Enjoy!
Just about the make this slice, my Mum use to make it all the time. I’m on the opposite side of the world in very sunny Queensland Australia when it’s suppose to getting cold it’s sunny, beautiful 25C. Making this slice for my granddaughter to try, fingers crossed she loves it as much as I did when I was a child.
That’s lovely, Moira! Pass down the traditions! I hope she loves it, too!
OMG, I have a recipe from my grandmother which we call Raisin Squares, I have put an apple into it to thicken it up a little. I have never put currents into my recipe. What a delight to see this I have wanted to post my grandmothers recipe to pintrest as I would hate to see it disappear as it is one of my favorites. Thank you for posting, I will be trying this soon. My heritage is Scottish decent for which I am quite proud of. Thanks again.
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Hi Martha! I bet this is the same recipe (or at least very similar) to your grandmother’s as it’s a very traditional Scottish pastry! Glad you found it and thank you so much for the note! I love to hear this! :)
My Scottish grandmother in law made something like this called it currant and Apple squares. Was delicious. She always made the crust with lard. Was a real treat and I loved it. Will have to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds very similar, Dorothy! Hope you like this one, too and you’re very welcome! Let me know what you think. :) CC
I have lived in Canada for over 48 years but I still remember the smell of the Flies Graveyards coming out of the oven. Mum didn’t put the powder sugar on the top until they came out of the oven. She used apple jelly instead of apples which made the squares more moist. She tried to cool them on a wire rack but they were usually gone before they did.
How lovely to have those strong memories, Catherine. I love how you describer your mother “trying” to cool them on a wire rack. Do you still make them?
Could you please giive me the short rust pastry recipe you use this has been my sticking point can’t seem to get quantity or texture. Thank you
Oh Liz, I’m so sorry I missed this question until now! The recipe is actually linked above, but here it is again. Good luck, this should work for you. https://www.christinascucina.com/pie-pastry-in-under-minute-its-possible/
Hi this sounds lovely but I have a question my husband is diabetic can I use another sweetener or can I omit it
Hi Mavis, I’m sure you can! I haven’t done it myself, but it’s not like a cake where it would alter the end result. The fruit is naturally sweet so I would try it with half the amount of your preferred sweetener. Let me know how it goes! CC