Aunt Edna’s Fruit Slices
I don’t have an Aunt Edna. I don’t know if this recipe comes from someone’s actual Aunt Edna. What I do know, is that this recipe for Aunt Edna’s Fruit Slices is yet another simple and straightforward traybake that tastes great.
Aunt Edna’s Fruit Slices tick a lot of the ‘classic traybake ingredient’ boxes. There’s coconut, dates and glacé cherries. And almonds, although you could easily use another type of nut if you don’t have almonds to hand. Yes, you can also leave out the glacé cherries, if you’re not a fan. I didn’t realize just how many people out there didn’t actually like glacé cherries until the first time I posted my recipe for Fifteens. Turns out there are a number of substitutions that people make in those. So feel free to substitute here as well if you want.
The base is quite a buttery mix of flour, sugar and butter. And it will rise up a but and still be very soft when you take it out of the oven. Just let it sit for a few minutes while the oven increases in temperature and it will settle down. Then you can spread the topping over the base – carefully so as not to disturb it too much – and then back in the oven to finish baking.
The brown sugar in the base (and topping) adds an extra depth of flavor to this traybake. And there’s a nice level of chew from the dried fruit as well as some crunch from the nuts and the sugar sprinkled on top.
Aunt Edna’s Fruit Slices
Ingredients
Base
- 4 oz or 110g self-raising flour
- pinch of salt
- 4 oz or 110g brown sugar
- 4 oz or 110g butter
Topping
- 6 oz or 175g dates, chopped
- 3 oz or 85g desiccated coconut
- 3 oz or 85g glacé cherries, chopped
- 2 oz or 55g almonds, chopped
- 2 eggs, well beaten
- 4 oz or 100g brown sugar
- 3 oz or 85g self-raising flour
- caster sugar, to dredge
Instructions
For the base
- Preheat oven to 325F/165C and line an 8"/20cm traybake tin with baking parchment.
- Rub the butter into the flour. Add the sugar and salt and work in with your fingertips.
- Press evenly into the tin and bake for 10-15 minutes until light golden.
- Leave to cool slightly.
For the topping
- Increase oven temperature to 350F/180C.
- Mix the dates, cherries, almonds and coconut. Add the eggs, sugar and flour and mix well.
- Spread over the cooled base and dredge with caster sugar.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Cool for a few minutes, then mark into slices. Cut when cool.
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