Hermit Bars

I go into work a couple of days per week now, which makes the idea of “Cookies on Friday” a bit of a challenge. Now it’s cookies on whatever day I am organized enough to bring them! That seems to work out ok as different people work different days, so I try to tailor recipes on who may be at work. Some of my friends can’t have gluten, and others can’t have dairy. I made these cookies dairy free, and next time I will find a gluten free recipe to try.

The original recipe I had planned to make would have been easy to convert to dairy free, but then I realized they contained toffee chips and I don’t know how you could make those without dairy! I swapped to this recipe which required I used margarine/vegan butter and then a substitute liquid for the icing. Since it was fairly late in the evening, I looked at what I had on hand and used apple cider for the icing. I figured that would taste great with these spiced cookies.

I hadn’t realized that hermits are very similar to biscotti, but you only bake them once. My two logs of dough did expand and almost come together, so about 12 minutes in I used a metal spatula to encourage them to stay apart. These cookies certainly make your house smell like fall, with the molasses and spices. They are quick to make, and I was able to work on other projects while they chilled. My cookies ended up quite large, so the only change I would make in the future is to shape the dough into three logs instead of two and use an additional baking sheet.

Hermit Bars
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegan butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 egg
2/3 cup raisins

1 cup powdered sugar
5–6 teaspoons apple cider

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixer bowl, combine the vegan butter and brown sugar and mix on medium until light. Add the molasses and egg and mix again on medium to combine. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture, stirring until almost incorporated. Stir in the raisins with a spatula.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with a silicone baking mat.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into two pieces. Shape each piece into a log approximately 12 inches long and about 3/4 inch tall. Place side by side on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches between the logs. Square off the logs slightly so that they are rectangular.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the logs start to brown along the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, move the cookie logs to a wire rack. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and apple cider until it is the correct drizzling consistency. Drizzle over the cookie logs while still warm, using a crosshatch pattern. Allow the drizzle to set before cutting into bars. I cut each log in half lengthwise, then cut into bars.

Recipe from New England Today: Food