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Hermits

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Hermits

Cuisine:American

Course:Dessert

20m prep 10m cook 30m ready

About forty 2-inch cookies Many hermit recipes include molasses, but this recipe hews closer to the nineteenth-century New England originals. Irma was fond of adding hickory nuts to her hermits. If you are lucky enough to find these elusive nuts—and determined enough to shell them—consider stretching your haul by adding them to these classic dried-fruit-and-spice cookies. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease or line 2 baking sheets or cookie sheets with parchment paper.

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Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
  • 1 ⅓ cups (165g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • Finely grated zest of 1 orange
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 stick (4 oz or 115g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed (230g) light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup sour cream (115g), yogurt (115g), or buttermilk (120g)
  • ½ cup chopped raisins, currants, dried figs, dried apricots, candied citron, or a combination
  • (¼ cup chopped nuts or shredded coconut)
  • 1
    • ½ cup packed brown sugar
    • ⅓ cup light cream or evaporated milk
    • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla or 1 teaspoon dark rum
    • (Powdered sugar)
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Heat in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth: ½ cup packed brown sugar; ⅓ cup light cream or evaporated milk; 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter; ⅛ teaspoon salt
    2. Remove from the heat, scrape into a medium bowl, and let cool for about 5 minutes. Gradually add, beating until spreadable: 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted; ½ teaspoon vanilla or 1 teaspoon dark rum
    3. If the icing seems thin, set the pan in a larger pan of ice water and beat until spreadable. If necessary, add more: (Powdered sugar)

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Whisk until blended in a medium bowl: 1 ⅓ cups (165g) all-purpose flour; ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon ground cloves; Finely grated zest of 1 orange; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; Pinch of salt

  2. Step 2.

    Beat in a large bowl, or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, until creamy: 1 stick (4 oz or 115g) unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup packed (230g) light brown sugar

  3. Step 3.

    Beat in: 1 large egg; ½ cup sour cream (115g), yogurt (115g), or buttermilk (120g)

  4. Step 4.

    Add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in: ½ cup chopped raisins, currants, dried figs, dried apricots, candied citron, or a combination; (¼ cup chopped nuts or shredded coconut)

  5. Step 5.

    Drop the dough by the teaspoon about 3 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are browned, about 10 minutes, switching oven racks and rotating the sheets halfway through. Let cool on the sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, spread thinly over the cookies: (Quick Butterscotch Icing (Penuche))

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