Weekend Cooking, hosted by Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more info, see the welcome post. This week's recipe is for Hermits in cookie form. Generally they're baked in a large pan and cut into bars. When we first moved from MA to FL, I had a part time job and one week brought in Hermits for the marketing department. A lot of people who live in FL are transplants. I was really surprised that only one person knew what Hermits were. In New England, they're practically a staple! Anyway, I chose this recipe because it is easier than the bar recipe which can tend to be dry if you don't take them out at exactly the right time.
Molasses Hermits:
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick of butter (softened)
1 c. light brown sugar
1 lg. egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. molasses
1/4 c. sour cream
1 c. raisins
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with molasses and sour cream. Add in raisins.
Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes. For my oven, 11 minutes is perfect. My friend Carol glazes her hermits. I don't feel it's necessary but if you would like to glaze them, here's an easy recipe :
2 tbsp butter
1 c. confectioner's sugar
5 tsp. milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
Glaze while hermits are still slightly warm.
Enjoy!
I'm sitting here with my cup of coffee wishing I had a hermit right now! (that just sounds so wrong, doesn't it?)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE hermit cookies. I will have to try this out,
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of hermits before, but it could be because I'm from the mid-Atlantic. I'm putting this recipe on my Christmas cookies potential list for this year (yes, I have a list, and yes, it's going in late July!)
ReplyDeleteKaye, Thanks for this recipe. I love hermits. My uncle was a baker in Rhode Island and he made the best hermits. Unfortunately, his recipe was for bakery sized batches and it couldn't be broken down to a normal family size. The ratios just wouldn't work. Thank you, thank you for posting this one. I have tried some different recipes, but unless you are from New England, I think they fall flat. I can't wait to try this recipe. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm having a cuppa tea ..and I want a hermit too!
ReplyDeleteI am from the other side of the world so can be excused for not knowing what hermits were! Thanks for the enlightenment.
ReplyDeleteI want one too! I don't think my recipe uses sour cream -- and so I bet yours is outstanding. Now I need the temperatures to drop so I can bake these. And I'm going for the glaze.
ReplyDeleteI think we just call those bar cookies in the South. They sound delicious, but it's been too blasted hot to turn the oven on. I'm marking this to try later.
ReplyDeleteKaye, you have me stumped. I have no idea what a hermit is in relation to food. Can you explain, please? I couldn't find the word in the dictionary either, so I'm totally with your colleagues in Florida.
ReplyDeleteYour recipe looks very inviting. I like the mix of spices that you use. This is new to me so I'm going to have to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteRikki- I didn't know where the name came from but found this site
ReplyDeletethat says the cookies when dropped on the sheet looked like monk's robes. There are a lot of variations to the recipe there also. I hope you like the recipe!
Kaye, thanks. So the name comes from the shape of the cookies.
ReplyDeleteWe''ll see about that once I've done them. I'm no gifted baker, :-)
I love hermits!! I'm copying this one and will give it a try - thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love these cookies, but never made them (send some my way)LOL
ReplyDeleteBTW Kaye, your free tires story was hilarious!
This is not good for my diet! :-) I am drooling! Thank goodness it's 9pm or I would be going to the grocery store buying supplies! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! We'll be saving this one definitely!
I thought it was a badly dressed person in need of a shower and a walk about town!! LOL...you should post a picture because I have no idea what these are!!
ReplyDeleteThese sound so yummy! Every year I make Christmas cookies and like to try a few new ones. I think I may try these -- thanks for sharing your recipe!
ReplyDeleteOH - this reminds me of a recipe I used to make for Mincemeat Hermits. I will have to scrounge that one up before the holidays.
ReplyDeleteI used to make these years ago. I'll have to try them again and see if my kids like them.
ReplyDeleteBeing from Utah I've never heard of hermits, but they sound divine. I love ginger snaps so I'm going to give these a try. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Kaye.
ReplyDeleteWell I'd never heard of Hermits here in Canada either but they sure do sound good!
ReplyDelete