A nostalgic vacation favourite, hermit cookies are tender, frivolously spiced drop cookies with walnuts and raisins. Easy to make and at all times successful on the cookie tray.
Hermit cookies had been at all times a part of my mother’s finest Christmas cookies and bars. She baked them yearly for my dad, who cherished them crammed with raisins. I’ve carried on the custom, though my family prefers them with chocolate chips as a substitute.
These are the tender, frivolously spiced drop cookies I grew up with, completely different from the darker molasses bar-style that’s frequent in New England. With heat spices and a chewy chew, they’re somewhat like if cinnamon shortbread cookies or brown sugar cut-out cookies met my fruitcake cookies, cozy, tender, and at all times a vacation hit.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No chilling wanted: Simply combine, scoop, and bake, excellent for busy vacation baking.
- Loaded with taste and texture. Filled with heat spices, raisins, and crunchy nuts, these cookies bake up tender with crunchy edges and a young, cakey chew.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Use softened unsalted butter so you possibly can management the salt within the recipe. It lotions simply with the sugar for a light-weight, tender texture.
- Brown sugar: Frivolously packed brown sugar provides sweetness with a touch of caramel taste that pairs completely with the spices.
- Eggs: Two massive eggs at room temperature assist bind the dough and preserve the cookies tender and cakey.
- Flour and leavening: All-purpose flour with a contact of baking powder offers simply the best construction with out making the cookies dense.
- Heat spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves create that cozy, old school vacation taste.
- Raisins: Historically made with raisins, however you possibly can swap in chopped dates or currants. My household typically prefers chocolate chips as a substitute.
Walnuts or pecans: Both nut provides crunch and balances the sweetness.
The best way to Make Hermit Cookies
Begin by whisking collectively the flour, baking powder, salt, and heat spices in a medium bowl. This offers the Hermit cookies recipe their cozy taste and retains all the things evenly blended.
In a big bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar till mild and fluffy. Beat within the eggs one by one.
Then slowly add the dry combination in two elements, mixing simply till mixed.
In case you’re utilizing raisins, soak them in boiling water, then drain and pat them dry. This fast step helps preserve them plump and chewy within the completed cookies. Stir within the raisins (or chocolate chips, if your loved ones prefers them like mine) together with the walnuts or pecans.
Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake till the cookies are frivolously golden.
Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes earlier than shifting to a wire rack to complete cooling.
recipe suggestions
- No milk wanted. Utilizing two eggs and plumping your raisins offers the dough all of the moisture it wants for tender, tender cookies.
- Don’t overmix. As soon as the dry elements go in, stir simply till mixed so the cookies keep mild and cakey.
- Scoop evenly. Utilizing a cookie scoop helps preserve the Hermit cookies the identical dimension in order that they bake evenly. Purpose for heaping tablespoons (or cookie scoop).
- Even higher the subsequent day. The spices develop extra taste as they sit, making these cookies style much more scrumptious after somewhat relaxation.
- Excellent for serving or gifting. Take pleasure in with a cup of espresso or a spiced tea like cardamom or chai. They bundle fantastically for vacation presents or look fantastic on a cookie tray with different favorites like hazelnut snowball cookies or ginger cookies.
Variations
- Combine up the dried fruit. Strive chopped Medjool dates, currants, or dried cranberries as a substitute of (or together with) the raisins.
- Play with the spices. A pinch of allspice offers the cookies a deeper, hotter taste.
- Espresso twist. Soak the raisins in scorching espresso as a substitute of water for a refined espresso word. Some variations of Hermit Cookies even embrace espresso proper within the batter!
- Citrus contact. Add somewhat grated orange peel to the dough for a recent, vibrant taste.
- Bake as bars. Unfold the dough right into a parchment-lined 9-inch pan and bake till set, then lower into squares. For a taste nearer to the New England bar-style Hermits, you can too swap in somewhat molasses for a few of the brown sugar.
- Add icing. Drizzle the cooled cookies with a easy powdered sugar glaze for a sweeter end.
These basic hermit cookies are crammed with heat spices and old school appeal. In case you give them a attempt, don’t overlook to take pleasure in one recent with a cup of espresso or tea.
- 1¾ cups all objective flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 pinch cloves
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup brown sugar (frivolously packed)
- 2 massive eggs (room temperature)
- 1 cup raisins (or chocolate chips)
- 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
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Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C. Line 2 massive baking sheets with parchment paper.
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In a big bowl sift within the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
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Soak the raisins in boiling water for about Quarter-hour, drain and gently dry with a paper towel, put aside.
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Within the mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes, add the eggs one by one beating between every addition, add the dry elements in 2 additions (mix on low) stir within the raisins and nuts (or on low with the paddle attachment) simply till mixed.
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Drop by heaping tablespoons on the ready baking sheets, 2 inches / 4 cm aside. Bake for about 12-Quarter-hour or till frivolously browned. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheets then transfer to a wire rack to chill utterly. Take pleasure in!
The best way to retailer Hermit cookies
Maintain the cooled cookies in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 4 days. Layer them with parchment paper when you’re stacking them. To freeze the cookies, place the utterly cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag, separating layers with parchment paper. Freeze for as much as 3 months, then thaw at room temperature earlier than serving.
Energy: 124kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fats: 6g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 2g | Trans Fats: 0.1g | Ldl cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg | Phosphorus: 38mg
Often Requested Questions
Hermit Cookies are old school spiced drop cookies made with brown sugar, heat spices, raisins (or different dried fruit), and nuts. They’re tender, frivolously cakey, and a preferred vacation deal with.
Many Hermit Cookie recipes name for milk, however it isn’t wanted right here. Utilizing two eggs and plumping the raisins offers the dough loads of moisture for tender, tender cookies with none further liquid.
Sure! These cookies are nice to make a day upfront for the reason that taste of the spices truly improves as they sit. You can even freeze the unbaked dough, simply scoop it into balls, freeze on a baking sheet till strong, then switch to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, including an additional minute or two to the bake time.
Maintain the cooled cookies in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 4 days. Layer them with parchment paper when you’re stacking them.
Sure, they freeze very nicely. Place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag, separating layers with parchment paper. Freeze for as much as 3 months, then thaw at room temperature earlier than serving.
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