Hermits

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: about 5 dozen cookies
  • Total: 50 min
  • Prep: 35 min
  • Cook: 15 min
Advertisement

Ingredients

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

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter and flour 3 baking sheets.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt together in a large bowl.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch wide bar cookies. Serve, or store hermits covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Let's Get Cooking!

Sign up for the Recipe of the Day newsletter to receive editor-picked recipes,tips and videos delivered to your inbox daily. Privacy Policy

Thanks for subscribing to the Recipe of the Day newsletter. Check out all our other great newsletters from Easy Recipes, Healthy Eating Ideas and Chef Recipe Videos.

We're sorry, there was an error signing you up. Please try again later.

Advertisement

Hope A.

Excellent cookies—I don’t bother with logs, just dump them in a baking pan like brownies, but if you do that you have to be careful not to make it too thick, else the edges will be overcooked before the center sets. Also, in re: spice quantity, I would say (as someone who normally doubles all spices in a recipe as a matter of course) that anyone trying this for the first time should try it as-written first; as it is, the nutmeg is potent (SO MUCH NUTMEG) and also the spices and dried fruit and nuts blend together very well, without either being overpowered; I feel like doubling the spices (ESPECIALLY THE NUTMEG) would be a bad plan. (Also, throw whatever the deuce you like into the cookies, I add raisins, cranberries, coconut, walnuts, pecans, anything I have on hand—they’re a true kitchen sink cookie!)

See All Reviews