Down East Hermits Recipes

DOWN EAST HERMITS

Steps:

• Mix together thoroughly--shortening, brown sugar, and eggs.
• Blend in the cold coffee.
• Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
• Add in the raisins and walnuts--mix well.
• Chill 1 hour.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
• Bake at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until set--just until when touched lightly with fingertip, almost no print remains.
• Do not overbake.

SPICY HERMIT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the egg, scrape down the bowl, then mix in the molasses.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined. Mix in the raisins and crystallized ginger. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured board, form it into a disk with lightly floured hands, and cut it in half. Roll each half into a log 12 inches long and place them 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes; the logs will still be soft in the center.
• Meanwhile, whisk the confectioners' sugar with 5 to 6 teaspoons rum to make a pourable glaze. While the logs are still warm, drizzle the glaze back and forth across the logs with a teaspoon and sprinkle them with the lemon zest. Allow to cool. Cut each log crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-wide bars.

HERMIT COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice and ginger in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Beat the butter, brown sugar and molasses together in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, eggs and orange zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until incorporated. Add the spiced flour mixture and beat until the dough just comes together. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and refrigerate on a plate or baking sheet until firm, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, adjust the oven racks to the top and lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Arrange the chilled dough balls about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the tops of the hermits are no longer glossy and the edges are firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• For the glaze: While the cookies cool, mix the confectioners' sugar, egg whites and vanilla seeds in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until smooth and shiny.
• Transfer the glaze to a piping bag and pipe stripes onto the cooled hermits. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

CRISPY OAT HERMITS

Steps:

• In bowl, cream shortening and sugar until fluffy.
• Beat in eggs; one at a time, and vanilla.
• Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg; stir into creamed mixture. Stir in oats, raisins, apricots and nuts.
• Using 2 teaspoons, drop dough onto greased baking sheets.
• Bake in 350F (180C) oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.
• (Store in airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.)

HERMIT BAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until smooth. Stir in the molasses and egg. Dissolve the baking soda in warm coffee; stir into the molasses mixture. Combine the flour, salt, cinnamon and cloves; Gradually stir into the batter. Mix in raisins. Form dough into 4 long strips lengthwise on the cookie sheets.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets then cut each strip into 2 inch bars while still warm.

HERMITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cover raisins with boiling water. Let stand for 5 minutes; drain and set aside. , Whisk together next 6 ingredients. In another bowl, combine molasses, butter, egg white and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in walnuts and raisins (batter will be wet)., Divide batter in half; spread each half (wetting hands, if necessary) into a 12x2-in. rectangle 2 in. apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until edges are lightly browned and set, 10-15 minutes., Transfer rectangles to a cutting board; with a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 1-1/2-in. bars. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

HERMITS I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar and spices. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt and stir until well blended. Stir in molasses and raisins.
• To make bar cookies: Spread mixture on cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Cut into bars while warm and let cool on wire rack.
• To make drop cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Drop batter about 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet and bake 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.