Preheat the oven to 180oC/350oF/Gas
4. Beat together the butter or margarine, lard and sugar, then gradually
beat in the egg and vanilla or almond essence.
Stir the flour into the beaten
mixture, with floured hands, then roll into 16-20 small balls.
Spread the rolled oats on a sheet of
greaseproof paper and toss the balls in them to coat evenly.
Place the balls, spaced slightly
apart, on two baking sheets, place a piece of cherry on top of each and
bake for about 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned.
Allow the biscuits to cool on the
sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool
completely.