Dessert: Cookie: Hermits

donna

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Thomas Jefferson liked to have Hermits when entertaining in the afternoon. He would serve coffee and a plate of Hermits. These cookies use walnuts, a favorite nut combined with imported spices. The tradition of afternoon teas would continue into the Civil War period and after. Hermits were served with tea or coffee.

Hermits

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees/ Lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, cream the brown sugar and butter until smooth. Add the eggs and beat until smooth. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and allspices and add to the creamed mixture. Beat until smooth. Stir in raisins and walnuts. Drop by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

from "The Lewis & Clark Cookbook", by Leslie Mansfield.
 
John you are right, there are Hermits made with molasses. King Arthur Flour has a wonderful recipe for Hermits made with molasses.

Hermits were a favorite in New England. Back in days of clipper ships, tins of hermits accompanied sailors as they set out for the Orient or other far-flung ports.

This particular hermit recipe makes flat, chewy hermits, rather than cakey ones.

Hermits from King Arthur Flour

1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/4 ounces) shortening
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, or 100% White Whole Wheat Flour (12 ounces), or a combination
1/2 cup (6 ounces) molasses
1 cup (5 1/4 ounces) raisins, either dark or golden

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, shortening and margarine till smooth. Beat in the spices, salt and baking soda.

Slowly stir in flour, then add the molasses and beat well again. Stir in raisins last.

Pat hermits into a lightly greased 9 inch by 13 inch pan, the mixture will be quite dry. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a light-colored aluminum pan, 20 to 25 minutes in a darker pan. In either case, don't over bake; bars should barely be pulling away from the edge of the pan. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.

From: "The Baking Sheet Newsletter", Vol. III, No. 8, September-October 1992 issue.
 
Been looking for old cookie recipes. Hermits have been popular for centuries. Another adaption of this cookie were Date Turnovers, also know as "Tiny Purses". The earliest recipe I found for these is from a 1596 English cookbook, "The Good Housewife's Jewel".


Ingredients
2 cups dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon beef suet
1 tsp ginger
1tsp cinnamon
2 tsp sugar
puff pastry

Add dates, raisins, suet, ginger,. cinnamon, and sugar together. Cut pastry dough into 3 inch circles, adding filling and fold. Cook over fire until golden brown.

Another early cookie enjoyed from Colonial times thru 19th Century.

Make some and enjoy.
 
Another recipe for Hermits from The Teakettle, a Collection of Recipes for Cooking contributed by the Ladies of Fairfield, ME. (1889).
The contributor was Mrya (Gamage) Savage, wife of Pvt. Frank J. Savage of the 10th Maine Infantry.

2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
1 cup raisins
2 tsp. each of soda, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
 
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