New England Hermit Bars

Name: New England Hermit Bars
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: ½ CUP BUTTER (SOFTENED); 1¼ CUPS SUGAR; ¼ CUP MOLASSES; 2 EGGS; 3 CUPS FLOUR; 1½ TSP BAKING SODA; ½ TSP SALT; ½ TSP CINNAMON; ½ TSP GROUND CLOVES; ½ TSP GROUND GINGER; 1 CUP RAISINS; ⅓ CUP WALNUTS (OPTIONAL); 1 BEATEN EGG (TO BRUSH TOPS OF BARS)

by Jennifer Howard| Cottage On Bunker Hill

16 servings

25 min

Hermits are a classic New England recipe. These chewy and spicy bars will remind you of gingerbread because of the flavor.

Yes, hermit is a funny name…one theory is that the name came from the fact that people could store them away in a dark cupboard and they would stay fresh for ages. I’m not sure if that’s the origin but it sounds right!

This hermit recipe was given to me years ago by an old neighbor, Muriel. One day she shared a batch with me and I had to have the recipe because they were the best ones I had ever had! She wrote out the recipe on a card for me…remember recipe cards??

At the time I was newly married and just learning how to cook and bake so I loved how simple it was to make hermit bars.

ingredients

½ CUP BUTTER (SOFTENED)
1¼ CUPS SUGAR
¼ CUP MOLASSES
2 EGGS
3 CUPS FLOUR
1½ TSP BAKING SODA
½ TSP SALT
½ TSP CINNAMON
½ TSP GROUND CLOVES
½ TSP GROUND GINGER
1 CUP RAISINS
⅓ CUP CHOPPED WALNUTS (OPTIONAL)
1 BEATEN EGG (TO BRUSH TOPS OF BARS)

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375°

Soak the 1 cup of raisins in boiling water

Cream 1 stick softened butter, 1¼ cups sugar, and ¼ cup molasses together in a mixer. Add the 2 eggs. Blend until combined.

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture at the lowest speed.

Drain the raisins and pat dry.

Add the chopped walnuts (if using) and the raisins to the hermit batter. Stir to combine.

On a floured towel, cut the batter into 4 sections.

Roll 1 section at a time like a sausage on the towel.

Place the hermit bar logs onto a greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. I use silicone baking mats (Love, love these things!!) and a half sheet pan.

Flatten the logs slightly with your hand.

Brush tops with a beaten egg.

BAKE AT 375° FOR 15 MINUTES

Let the hermits cool before cutting them diagonally into bars.

I find that using a dough scraper works great to cut the bars!

Store the New England hermit bars in an airtight container. They do stay fresh for a long time!!

New England Hermit Bars

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Recipe details

Yield 16 servings
Time spent: Prep time: 10 Minutes Cook time: 15 Minutes Total time: 25 min

Show Nutrition Info

Per serving

% Daily value

Instructions

- PREHEAT OVEN TO 375°
-Soak the 1 cup of raisins in boiling water.
-Cream 1 stick softened butter, 1¼ cups sugar, and ¼ cup molasses together in a mixer. Add the 2 eggs. Blend until combined.
-In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
-Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture at a low speed.
-Drain the raisins. Pat dry.
-Add the chopped walnuts (if using) and the raisins to the hermit batter. Stir to combine.
-On a floured towel, cut the batter into 4 sections.
-Roll 1 section at a time like a sausage on the towel.
-Place the hermit bar logs onto a greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. I use silicone baking mats
-Flatten the logs slightly with your hand.
-Brush tops with a beaten egg.
BAKE AT 375° FOR 15 MINUTES
Let bars cool before cutting them diagonally into bars.
I find that using a dough scraper works great to cut the bars!
Store the New England hermit bars in an airtight container. They do stay fresh for a long time!!

Comments

You32207925 on Dec 30, 2021

I just made these. Looked great, until I cut them and discovered they were not baked in the middle. Back into the oven……

2 Reply
- Jennifer Howard| Cottage On Bunker Hill on Dec 30, 2021
  
  The middles stay pretty chewy and almost look undercooked when you cut into them. I’ll see if I have a closeup pic…
  
  1
Diana Lee Weber on Jan 09, 2022

Can you make these with Splenda instead of sugar.

2 Reply
- Naomie Moore aka baileyanddaisey, Castaic CA on Jan 09, 2022
  
  Absolutely ! Just googled their conversion chart.
  
  https://www.splenda.com/conversion-chart/
  
  Like