Scottish Fruit Squares Recipes

SCOTTISH FRUIT SQUARES

Steps:

• Measure the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, beat together the corn oil, egg white, lemon juice, and 2 Tablespoons of the water. Sprinkle the liquids over the flour mixture and toss with a fork until the pastry holds together in a ball. Add more water if necessary. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F Roll the pastry out to fit the bottom and sides of a 15 1/4 x 10 1/4 x 3/4 inch jelly roll pan. Prick all over with a fork. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until light brown.
• To make the filling, combine the walnuts, currants, coconut, raisins, and sugar in a large bowl. Mix in the melted butter, the egg, and the egg yolk. Spread the mixture over the bottom of the pastry. Bake for 30 minutes or until set and the edges are golden brown.
• While the bars bake, make the icing. Mix the confectioners' sugar (also known as icing or powdered sugar) with the orange juice in a small bowl until the icing is smooth and rather soft, but not runny, and spread over the bars. Sprinkle evenly with the cherries. Cool completely before cutting into squares. The bars are easiest to cut the day after baking.
• Makes twelve 3-inch or forty-eight 1 1/2 inch bars.
• The Great Holiday Baking Book.

SCOTTISH FRUIT-FILLED SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425F degrees.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl; stir to mix well.
• Add butter and cut in with a pastry cutter until mixture looks like fine granules.
• Add sugar, raisins and mix.
• Add milk, vanilla, and cinnamon and stir with a fork until soft dough forms.
• Form dough into a ball, put on a lightly floured board, and give 10 to 12 kneads.
• Roll out dough to a flat shape between ¼“and ½“ thick.
• Using a floured doughnut cutter, cut out 12 solid disks and 6 with a hole in the center.
• Place a solid disk on a greased cookie sheet.
• Place a disk with a hole on top and fill the hole with fruit.
• Cover with another solid disk and pinch edges to seal.
• Re-roll and cut scraps and repeat cutting until all dough is used.
• Bake for 12 – 14 minutes or until medium brown on top.
• Put on a wire rack and cool before serving.
• ***Warning***the fruit filling is very hot fresh from the oven, always allow the scones to cool a few minutes before eating.

HUNGARIAN FRUIT SQUARES

Steps:

• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Use a pastry blender or fork to cut in butter until pea-sized crumbs form. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix dough well.
• Separate out 1/4 of the dough and chill in the refrigerator. Press remaining dough into the bottom and sides of an ungreased 15 1/2x10 1/2-inch jelly roll pan. Spread apricot preserves on 1/2 the mixture and raspberry preserves on the remaining 1/2.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator and roll out onto a lightly floured board. Cut into 1/2-inch strips and place diagonally across the preserves to form a lattice; press around edges to seal.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
• Allow to cool and cut into squares. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar; this keeps cookies from sticking and looks nice, too.