I pinched this recipe off my sister Clara who had it tucked away in her old school file. The scent and taste of the biscuits bring back memories of the school cookery room and the fun we always had cooking at school.
130g of plain flour, a pinch of baking-powder, 75g of sugar, 100g of butter, one teaspoonful of vanilla, three heaped tablespoonfuls of desiccated coconut, chopped cherries (optional).
Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180C. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and creamy. Add the flour and mix it in thoroughly. Divide the mixture into 20 pieces. With damp hands, roll each one into a neat ball and coat it with desiccated coconut. Place these on a well-greased baking-tray and press down on them lightly. Place a piece of cherry on each biscuit or leave them plain, if you prefer. Bake them at gas mark 4/180C for about 20 minutes. If you prefer smaller biscuits, just cut the mixture into 30 pieces instead of 20.