Hermit Cookies

Name: Hermit Cookies
Yield: Makes about 20 cookies
Cuisine: New England
Ingredients: 1 cup, raisins; 2 tablespoons, crystallized ginger, finely chopped (see note); 8 tablespoons, unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon, ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon, ground allspice; 2 cups (10 ounces; 283 grams), all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon, baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon, salt; 3/4 cup packed (5¼ ounces; 149 grams), dark brown sugar; 1/2 cup, molasses (see note); 2 large, eggs; 3/4 cup (3 ounces; 85 grams), confectioners' sugar; 1 1/2 tablespoons, orange juice

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Appears in Cook's Country October/November 2008

Desserts or Baked Goods

New England

Lost Recipes

Most versions of this old-fashioned cookie bake up rock-hard and overly spiced. Our recipe revives this New England specialty to what it should be: soft and chewy, with a perfect balance of sugar and spice.

SERVESMakes about 20 cookies

TIME1½ hours, plus 1½ hours chilling and 20 minutes cooling

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

A New England specialty, hermits are a chewy raisin-molasses-spice cookie with a sweet glaze. We had fond memories of these cookies, but most recipes we tried baked up more hard and dry than soft, were peppered with tough raisins, and taste...

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