Grandmas Hermits Recipes

HERMITS

Steps:

• 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.

MOLASSES BARS

Steps:

• Kick the tires and light the fires to 375 °F.
• Cream the sugars and the margarine together. Add in your two eggs and beat in completely.
• Add in the molasses to the margarine/sugar mix and mix in thoroughly.
• Whisk together the dry ingredients.
• Combine the wet and dry and mix well.Then add in your raisins.
• Divide the dough into two pieces, and from each half form three long rolls on a cookie sheet.
• Build them up as high as you can and they fit across a baking sheet, width-wise. When you build them up, you get a thicker, chewier bar.
• Bake them in the oven at 375 for 13-15 minutes, and do not over/under bake. This from my grandma's instructions. So they need to be baked until the edges are cooked and the middle slightly still underdone.
• Slice them across into about 8-10 squares when they are fully cooled, needless to say, this recipe makes a large amount, you can end up with 40-60 of the little bars!