Happy new year, all. Now my book is released into the world (hurrah!) I want to get back to regular recipe posting on here, starting from next month. But for now, I bring you biscuits.
These biscuits are very worth getting excited about. Despite how easy and simple, they really do taste incredible. These might just make my top 3 biscuits.
Recipe origin
This recipe comes from an old advertisement, for one of the first brands of self-raising flour in the UK, Be-Ro. It’s from around the 1940s, I believe. But although I may only be in my early 30s, I distinctly remember eating these as a child, when we would still bake from old, dusty and sticky cookbooks instead of food blogs.
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Oats or coconut?
I love coconut but the original recipe gives the option of either rolled oats or dessicated coconut. Perhaps even a mixture of both. It’s up to you!

Vegan Melting Moments
These retro cookies are to-die-for. Buttery biscuits with oats or coconut, dotted with cherry gems.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp desiccated coconut or rolled oats
- 50g caster sugar
- 75g dairy-free butter or margarine
- (optional) 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 95g self-raising flour
- 12 glace cherries, cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas mark 4 / 350°F. Grease or line a baking tray.
- Prepare a bowl with the coconut or rolled oats.
- In a large, separate, mixing bowl, beat the margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy, then stir in the vanilla.
- Stir in the flour and mix into a dough.
- Divide the dough into 24 pieces and roll into balls with slightly damp hands. Roll and shake in the coconut/oat mixture to thoroughly coat.
- Place onto the baking tray, allowing enough room in-between for the biscuits to expand (use two trays if you need to) and press down slightly. Top each ball with one of the cherry halves.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden.
- Allow to cool before serving and enjoy!

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