Cookbook:Hermits

| Desserts

Hermits are chewy molasses spice cookies. This version is on the strong side of the spectrum so those who prefer less hot-tasting food should hold back on the cloves and ginger.

Ingredients

 * 2 cups (275 g/9.7 oz) all-purpose flour
 * ⅔ cup (65 g) seedless raisins (a handful more if you like them)
 * ⅔ cup (120 g) packed dark brown sugar
 * 2½ teaspoons ground ginger
 * 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
 * 1 teaspoon ground cloves
 * 1 teaspoon baking powder
 * ½ teaspoon salt
 * ½ cup (175 g) molasses
 * 6 tablespoons butter, melted
 * 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 * 1 egg

Procedure

 * 1) Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.
 * 2) Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
 * 3) In a large bowl, stir together flour, raisins, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, and salt until well combined; watch the brown sugar to ensure that it doesn't clump—it will want to do so and brown sugar clumps coated in flour look a lot like raisins coated in flour.
 * 4) Stir in molasses, butter, vanilla, and egg until fully integrated. Shape the dough in two strips (approximately 6 x) separated by at least 1.5 in on the sheet pan.
 * 5) Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the strips comes out dry.
 * 6) Allow to cool slightly then remove the hermits (on their parchment) to cooling racks to cool completely; be sure the bottoms have cooled (just reach under and feel—if its more than a little warmer than room temperature its not there yet).
 * 7) Move the hermits (still on their parchment) to a counter for portioning and removal from parchment. Cut hermits into 1.5 in wide strips (a pizza cutter should work well) then carefully scrape them away from the parchment with a good thin spatula.
 * 8) Enjoy with a glass of milk or a nice cup of tea.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * Although nice when warm these hermits will be even better after a night in an air-tight tin. They should last about a week.
 * A buttered sheet pan works if you have no parchment, but it makes cooling and cutting more difficult and damaging to the sheet pan.