Now really, who doesn’t love a chewy hermit?

I think I need to clean the camera lens on my iPhone;
I wasn't  going for this "gauzy" effect. In real life, these
cookies are dark brown and filled with raisins.

While we were on vacation in Provincetown, my favorite getaway destination in the world, I got a hankering for a hermit. No, not one of those creepy dudes who live in seclusion out in the dunes on the edge of town. But those dark, wonderfully spiced cookies studded with raisins. There’s a shop (which shall go unnamed) on Commercial Street in Ptown that sells them, but they’re too expensive and the drama quotient in that “angelic” storefront is often too much to bear.

But while picking up some groceries at the Stop & Shop, I eyed a Styrofoam tray of eight hermit cookies near the deli and picked them up. And they were delicious! I limited myself to one hermit per day, and enjoyed every bite.

So now that we’re back home and in our regular routine, I decided to snatch back a piece of Ptown and make a batch of hermits. I found this recipe on the King Arthur Flour Company website, and it was really easy and quick. One tip to stress: don’t overbake these brown babies. You want them moist and chewy, not all dried up. Better a little undercooked than overcooked.

Hermits

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup shortening

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine
 (I used butter – shoot me)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon cloves

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 3 cups All-Purpose or Whole Wheat flour (I used 2 cups whole wheat and I cup AP)
• 1/2 cup molasses

• 1 cup raisins, either dark or golden

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, shortening and margarine till smooth. Beat in the spices, salt and baking soda. 

Slowly stir in the flour, then add the molasses and beat well again. Stir in the raisins last. 

Pat hermits into a lightly greased pan; mixture will be quite dry. If you're using a half-sheet pan or jelly roll pan, bake for 15 to 20 minutes. If you're using a 9 x 13-inch pan, bake for 25 to 30 minutes. In either case, don't overbake; bars should barely be pulling away from the edge of the pan. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.