Yield: about 30 1-inch bars

Source lost

2012: I remembered my mom making these and dug around and found a recipe. Sorry, but I lost the source. They’re good though…

For the story on the origin of Hermit Cookies see Bon Appetit’s hermit-cookie-reclusive-recipe. Not the same recipe as appears here as it doesn’t contain molasses.

• 2cups plus 2 TBS all-purpose flour
• 2tsp baking soda
• 2tsp ground ginger
• 1¾tsp ground cinnamon
• 1¾tsp ground cloves
• ¼tsp salt
• ½cup (1 stick) plus 1 TBS unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1cup loosely packed light-brown sugar
• 1large egg, room temperature
• ¼cup un-sulfured molasses
• ¾cup raisins

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat, set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg; beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl once. Add molasses; beat until combined, and scrape down sides of bowl. Add the flour mixture and raisins; beat on low until dough just comes together, about 1 minute. The dough will still be very sticky. Cover with plastic wrap; place in refrigerator to chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Remove dough from refrigerator, and turn out onto a clean work surface. Divide into 2 equal pieces, and shape each piece into a 12-inch log about 1½ inches in diameter. Place on prepared baking sheet, at least 3 inches apart.

Place in oven on the center rack.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes (High Altitude: 12 to 15 minutes) or until the edges are just barely crisp.

The logs will flatten out and lengthen as they bake and get slightly puffy in the center. Set baking sheet on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice logs into 1- to 2-inch-wide bars. Hermit bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

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