Recipe: Hermit Bars - 3

I could not find a copycat of the Newman's Own Hermit bar but did find recipes for Hermit bars. Perhaps you could adapt the recipe. Good luck and please share your results with us.

Newman's Own Hermits (Original) - Ingredients:
Organic Unbleached Wheat Flour, Organic Raisins, Organic Molasses, Organic Sugar, Organic Palm Fruit Oil, Oats, Organic Figs, Raisin Paste, Spices, Leavening (Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate), Salt, Rice Bran Extract.

---

HERMIT BARS
Source: Askville/SharonW

"This sounds just like a spice cookie known as a Hermit. They are a wonderfully moist, dark, spicy cookie. Here is the recipe my mom used to make. It was her and my grandmother's favorite cookie..."

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
FOR THE ICING:
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
Milk (as needed)

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses and mix until well-blended; set aside.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, all spices, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix well. Add nuts and raisins and mix thoroughly. Dough will be stiff.

Turn dough out onto clean countertop. Form into ball and divide into four equal pieces. Form each piece into a 12-inch roll. Place two rolls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving room on all four sides for expansion. Gently press rolls down to 3/4-inches high by 1 1/2-inches wide.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for five minutes.

Slice crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Remove from cookie sheet and finish cooling on a cake rack. Repeat with two remaining rolls.

Stir enough milk into confectioner's sugar to make it pouring consistency. Drizzle onto cooled bars.

---

HERMIT BARS
Source: By Christopher Kimball, GateHouse News Service,
October 8, 2008

"The hermits can be served plain or with a light dusting of confectioners sugar. We have also included a chocolate glaze variation below. Hermits keep well, and it may even be argued that they are better on the next day as their flavors have melded and mellowed. Store them at room temperature in a tin or wrapped in plastic."

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup raisins
Confectioner's sugar or Chocolate Glaze (optional, recipe follows)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and adjust a rack to the center position. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, soda and salt; set aside.

Beat the butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat each until just combined, about 30 seconds each. Add the molasses and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, mixing each on low speed until almost incorporated before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the raisins and mix until well incorporated.

Using a rubber spatula, form the dough into two logs about 2 x 14 inches and about 6 inches apart, as they will spread a lot as they bake. You can smooth the logs using moistened fingers.

Bake until they feel set, are golden brown and cracked on top, about 20 minutes. Cool on a rack and cut on a diagonal into slices about 1 1/4 inches thick.

If desired, dust with confectioner's sugar or ice cookies with the Chocolate Glaze and allow to set before storing or packing.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

In a small bowl, whisk together until smooth:
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon milk
Add and whisk until smooth and spreadable:
2 ounces melted and cooled semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
You may thin out with a few drops of milk if necessary.

Makes 18 cookies

---

Hermit Bars
Board: Cooking Club at Recipelink.com
From: Louise AR 5-5-2002
Msg ID: 0061242
MSG URL: Hermit Bars