Has anyone ever made Hermits? These looked good, and baking directions are unusual>

cheezz

Well-known member
Hermits

From Food Network Kitchens

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar

3 large eggs, plus 1 large egg, beaten, for brushing

2/3 cup molasses

3/4 cup golden raisins

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1 cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts

2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

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.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36607,00.html

 
Here's a recipe I've used. It's from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, ca. 1963. It describes Hermits...

...as "The Best Cooky Of 1880 - 1890"

"One Of Our Earliest Favorites - Rich with spices from the Indies, plump with fruits and nuts, Hermits originated in Cape Cod in Clipper Ship days. They went to sea on many a voyage, packed in canisters and tucked in sea chests."

Hermits

Spicy, fruity, satisfying.

1 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
1/2 cup cold coffee
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 cups seeded raisins
1 1/4 cups broken nuts

Mix shortening, sugar and eggs thoroughly. Stir in coffee. Stir flour and dry ingredients together; blend into shortening mixture. Mix in raisins and nuts. Chill dough at least one hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2" apart on lightly greased baking sheet (I use parchment; no grease). Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Makes 7 to 8 dozen 2 1/2" cookies.

Enjoy!

Michael

 
Cool. Cape Cod, eh? I always thought they were Canadian because

all Canadians seem to know them and they're frequently in Canadian cookbooks, or maybe it's because we always had them at summer camp (in the days before energy bars and nut allergies). Now that I look around, I see Joy has a recipe, too, and so does Claiborne's NYT Cook Book. Another myth shattered.

 
It seems authoritative, but who knows if ol' Betty knows what she's talkin' about. After all...

...she spells "cookie", "cooky".

Who knows?

Michael

 
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