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Hermit cookies

hermit cookies

I think we’re about two weeks out from Thanksgiving, about 5 weeks from the Christmas season, and about 31 business days from the end of the year. All of which indicates that it’s time to bake cookies. I’m going to bake cookies this year and I’m going to bake cookies I’ve never baked before.

I’m starting off with the hermit cookie because as I read through the recipe it was obvious that they would offer an incredible spicy flavor and a chewy texture; the combination of the two promises a comforting sweet treat that is perfect for these dark, late fall days.

Naturally I substituted dried cranberries for the traditional raisins and I tossed in some pecans because it seemed like the right thing to do. The finished product is deeply and intensely spicy with a texture that is addictive. I especially like the brown sugar frosting that gives away with a bit of crunch an instant before your teeth sink into the dense ginger interior. If you like ginger then these easy-peasy bar cookies are for you.

Hermit Cookies
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4 ounces unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pecans, rough chopped

Brown Sugar Icing
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar, plus more if needed

Preheat oven to 350º. Line the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and butter the sides.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and cloves and set aside.

Fit your mixer with the paddle attachment and cream the butter and sugar together until well combined. Add the eggs and mix until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix just long enough to combine thoroughly. Dump in the cranberries and pecans and whirl about for 30 seconds or so…juest enough to get good distribution.

Now comes the hard part…this recipe is much more suited to a drop cookie because of its denseness…but it excels as a bar cookie …so dump the cookie dough into 4 piles on the baking sheet and slowly and methodically spread it out until it cover the entire sheet. Patience will pay off here. Bake for about 15 minutes and then cool on a rack.

For the icing you’ll cook the brown sugar, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. If icing is too thick to drizzle, stir in more milk, a teaspoon at a time. If icing is too thin, stir in more confectioners’ sugar, a teaspoon at a time. Let cool slightly.

Drizzle bars with icing. Let them sit for at least 15 minutes before cutting into bars.

November 16, 2008 | Filed Under baking, cookie, food, ginger, quick and easy, recipe 

comments

11 Responses to “Hermit cookies”

  1. holler on November 16th, 2008

    These sound delicious! I for one am willing to stay in my house and pretend to be a hermit for a while, if I could have some of these. Of course, my boss may not be too pleased with this plan LOL!

  2. food.baby on November 17th, 2008

    Yum these look sensational! Do you think they would pack and keep well enough to send interstate for a gift? I passed on a blog award to you recently. You can pick it up at http://www.food-baby.blogspot.com

  3. vanessa on November 17th, 2008

    food baby, they’d be perfect for shipping because they’re sturdy, moist, and flavorful. Thanks for the award, you’re so kind!

  4. Sues on November 20th, 2008

    These look soooo good!! And I definitely think they look much better as bars than drop cookies. YUM!

  5. Kate on November 21st, 2008

    When I was really little, we lived near a small bakery that made Hermits on Wednesdays. My mom always took us down there to get some- they were a favorite of ours. The version I recall was a dark chocolate cookie with raisins and nuts in it, and it was covered in chocolate ganache. Although i wasn’t a fan of nuts, I loved the raisins and icing. Maybe it’s a regional thing?

  6. Suzy on November 22nd, 2008

    Thankyou so much for these! I made them yesterday and they are absolutely beautiful – they taste like christmas :) I know now what I’m baking up as gifts this year!
    I ended up using a tray which I think was a bit smaller than your tray as they took an extra 10mins, plus I think next time I’ll either half the icing or just dust with icing sugar and I added cardamon as I try to add it into everything :D
    But I really can’t say how much we all loved these – spicy, chewy, soft, textured with a little tang from the craisins – Superb!

  7. vanessa on November 22nd, 2008

    Kate, those sound fabulous…I’ll try to make something like that soon.

    Suzy…cardamom…yum, excellent idea. I think I’d keep the brown sugar icing but I would add some cardamom to both the cookie and the glaze. I’m adding some to my coffee right now.

  8. SallyHP on November 22nd, 2008

    YUM! I love Holiday Baking season!

  9. SallyHP on November 22nd, 2008

    Oh! And I think it is regional, because my aunt used to make Bayou Hermits when I was little, and they were a molasses cookie…super good!

  10. Cristie on November 26th, 2008

    I’ve been looking for a recipe for these. I haven’t had them in years. I thought they were a New England sort of cookie because that’s the only place I’ve eaten them. Thanks for the recipe!

  11. Delicious on November 19th, 2009

    This recipe was a big hit last year. I made 4 batches for various functions starting with Thanksgiving and going through New Year. This has now gone into my regular holiday rotation. This recipe is a fair amount of work, and a pretty big calorie hit, but worth it. I made these two batches at a time, and froze them, and they did just fine coming out of the freezer on demand for a work party in midweek.

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