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Hermits are chewy molasses spice cookies. This version is on the strong side of the spectrum so those who prefer less hot-tasting food should hold back on the cloves and ginger.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour (AP)
• ⅔ cup seedless raisins (a handful more if you like them)
• ⅔ cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 2½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup molasses
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.
2. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (a buttered sheet pan works as well but makes cooling and cutting more difficult and more damaging to the sheet pan).
3. In a large bowl, stir together flour, raisins, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, and salt until well combined; watch the brown sugar to ensure that it doesn't clump, it will want to do so and brown sugar clumps coated in flour look a lot like raisins coated in flour.
4. Stir in molasses, butter, vanilla, and egg until fully integrated. Spread the dough in two strips (approximately 6" by 3") separated by at least 1½" on the sheet pan.
5. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the strips comes out dry.
6. Allow to cool slightly then remove the hermits (on their parchment) to cooling racks to cool completely; be sure the bottoms have cooled (just reach under and feel -- if its more than a little warmer than room temperature its not there yet).
7. Move the hermits (still on their parchment) to a counter for portioning and removal from parchment. Cut hermits into 1½ inch wide strips (a pizza cutter should work well) then carefully scrape them away from the parchment with a good thin spatula.
8. Enjoy with a glass of milk or a nice cup of tea.

Although nice warm these hermits will be even better after a night in an air-tight tin. They should last about a week in that tin though at my house they've never lasted more than a day.