{"id":3814,"date":"2019-08-09T17:17:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-09T21:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/recipephany.com\/?p=3814"},"modified":"2024-11-05T13:40:41","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T18:40:41","slug":"dicks-hermits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/recipephany.com\/?p=3814","title":{"rendered":"Dick\u2019s Hermits"},"content":{"rendered":"

How did these classic New England molasses-spice cookies come to be called \u201chermits\u201d? Some say it\u2019s because they kept well when hidden away on ocean voyages. Others think they resemble hermits\u2019 robes. Let\u2019s just chalk it up to the region\u2019s wacky names. For instance, Rhode Islanders call milkshakes \u201ccabinets,\u201d and they don\u2019t have a good explanation for that, either.<\/p>\n

Since my mother-in-law Dorothy (known as Dick) grew up in western Massachusetts, the heart of hermit country, these cookies may have been passed down from her mom. My husband usually beat his siblings to them, often stealing a couple right off the cooling rack. When he introduced me to these these tender bars\u2014completely new to this Southern gal\u2014it was as if I\u2019d met the spice equivalent of a decadent chocolate cookie.<\/p>\n

Even after decades of making Dick\u2019s hermits, I still marvel at their uniqueness in the bar cookie-verse. Like biscotti, they start out as logs and then get sliced into bars after baking. But unlike biscotti, there is no second baking. The outside puffs and cracks while baking, then firms up as it cools. Yet the inside stays moist and almost gooey. This gives the hermit the feel of a filled cookie\u2014more like a fig newton than a bar cookie baked in a pan. The soft bite melts away into a flavor bomb on the tongue.<\/p>\n

Dick\u2019s recipe yields a lot of bars, so you can eat plenty and stash some in the freezer for another time. They also make tasty gifts (if you can part with them).<\/p>\n

Hermits appeal to frugal New Englanders. They derive their complex taste and texture from old-time pantry staples, including molasses. For a bigger hit of molasses, plus the story of the Great Molasses Flood, try out Mighty Molasses Clove Cookies,<\/a> too.<\/p>\n

Note: See the gluten-free, vegan version of Dick’s Hermits<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Dick\u2019s Hermits<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Recipe easily halves. Cookies freeze well.
\n<\/em>Makes about 4 dozen. <\/em><\/p>\n