Ingredients
- 5oz/150g butter or block margarine
- 6oz/175g caster sugar
- 1 egg, size 3, beaten
- ¼ tsp vanilla essence
- 2oz/50g glacé cherries, finely chopped
- 1oz/25g desiccated coconut
- 8oz/225g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
Method
- Beat the butter or block margarine until soft then beat in the caster sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla essence.
- Stir in the chopped cherries and desiccated coconut. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and stir in. With your hands, draw the mixture together to form a dough.
- Shape the dough into a sausage about 2in/5cm in diameter. Wrap in foil or greaseproof paper and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to Mark 5/375°F/190°C. Unwrap the roll and slice into ¼in/6mm cookies. Set well apart on lightly greased baking sheets and bake in the centre of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until pale golden brown.
Notes
Vary the flavour of the cookies: omit the chopped cherries and desiccated coconut and stir in 2oz/50g chocolate drops, or 4 tbsp peanut butter with 1oz/25g extra plain flour. Bake as before.
To freeze: wrap the rolled dough in foil, label and freeze for up to 3 months. To use: remove dough from the foil, slice and cook for 20 to 25 minutes on Mark 5/375°F/190°C.