Old Fashioned Hermit Cookies

With September coming my thoughts are more and more turning to fall, the leaves changing color, trips to an apple farm, and fall flavors. Hermits are an old fashioned cookie, traditionally the dough is rolled into logs and baked, then sliced and are called Hermit bars. I just find making them as drop cookies much easier. They are delicious and last a long time if stored in a tin. In olden times New England wives and mothers used to make them and give them to their sea faring fishermen, sailor, sons or husbands or other loved ones to have a piece of home to take with them. With their warm spices they are a familiar touch of fall. When I was a child my mother would pack them for school lunches or picnics, makes about 32 cookies.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
¼ cup molasses
1 large egg
2/3 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 375° and line a large baking sheet with parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and egg and continue to beat, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary. Gradually add the flour and spices mixture until just combined. Stir in the raisins. Drop tablespoonfuls of cookie dough on to baking sheet, and bake on the center rack of your oven for 13 minutes, until the edges are barely crisp, you don’t want to overcook them. Remove them from the oven and cool.