Soft Hermits Recipes

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.

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

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter and flour 3 baking sheets.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt together in a large bowl.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar together in another bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add the molasses and beat until smooth. While mixing slowly, add the flour mixture to make a sticky batter, being careful not to overmix. Fold in the raisins, cranberries, walnuts and ginger.
• Divide dough into 6 pieces and with slightly damp hands, shape each piece into a 1-inch wide log. Place 2 logs on each of the prepared cookie sheets, leaving plenty of space between each log, since the cookies spread considerably when baked. Brush with egg. Bake cookies, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until dark golden but still soft, about 15 minutes, Cool completely.
• Cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch wide bar cookies. Serve, or store hermits covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

HERMIT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-by-8-by-2-inch pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Butter parchment; set pan aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and cloves; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg; beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl once. Add molasses; beat until combined and scrape down sides of bowl. Add the flour mixture and raisins; beat on low until dough just comes together, about 1 minute. Press dough into prepared pan. Bake until golden but still very soft to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into bars. Hermit bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

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 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.

MINCEMEAT HERMITS

Steps:

• Sift flour, soda, salt, and spices.
• Cream butter and sugar.
• Add egg and beat until light.
• Add dry ingredients, mincemeat, and cream- mix well.
• Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
• Bake in 400 degree oven, 10-12 minutes.
• Remove to racks to cool.

EASY HERMITS

Steps:

• In mixing bowl, beat margarine or butter with electric mixer for 30 seconds.
• Add half of flour, brown sugar, egg, milk, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
• Beat in remaining flour.
• Stir in raisins and nuts.
• Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart, onto greased cookie sheets.
• Bake in 375 degree oven about 10 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.
• Cool cookies on rack.