Hermit Cookies are old-fashioned spice cookies with nuts and assorted dried fruit, like some grandmas used to make.

Hermit Cookies

By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime

This month  for #FilltheCookieJar the theme is all about Grandma’s Recipes in honor of grandparents day.

I actually never got any of either of my grandmother’s recipes. For awhile I thought about doing some really old recipe to  see how it turned out. I located some that dated back to the 1800’s. But they just didn’t grab me really.

But my mom used to make the old Betty Crocker version of Hermits when I was a kid, and they were one of my favorites. She was a grandmother and great grandmother as well.   I have not yet become a grandparent although I am not crying about that. Some of my peers have grandkids who are grown now.

Sometimes I think only still being a mom gives me a false sense of youthfulness, but that’s not a bad thing,  is it?

Hermits, as cookies go, date way back in  time. They  make a great drop cookie (popular in the  New England area and Maine) but purists may also  make them as bars. I always had them as drop cookies.

Ingredients can vary, so I have changed up the recipe my mom used to used, taking out the coffee instead using instant espresso, and using a different array of fruits and nut. I thought about using dried blueberries as well, but tasting the dough, thought the cranberry brought out the best qualities of coffee flavor, which is light but present. I also changed the spice blend and added dates.

The end result is better than the last time I made the old hermits recipe, as I also changed up the type of oil in them, as that can make a difference.

Hermit Cookies

• Servings: 36-48
• Time: 40mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso or instant coffee granules
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or craisins
• 1/2 cup golden raisins

Method:

1. Preheat  oven to  400°F.
2. Cream butter, shortening and brown sugar.
3. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
4. Add baking soda, salt,  instant espresso granules, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves, then add sifted flour a little at a time until  it makes a smooth thick cookie dough.
5. Fold in the chopped nuts, craisins, raisins and dates.
6. Drop dough by a cookie scoop (that holds about a heaping tablespoonful) onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes or until golden. Dark pans take less time,  insulated pans take more.
7. Cool on pan a couple minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com

Fill the Cookie Jar

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