Soft and Chewy Spiced Hermit Cookie Bars
These soft and chewy Hermit Bars are packed with warm holiday spices, dried fruit, and a hint of nostalgia. Perfect for holiday cookie swaps or a cozy treat with coffee
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Servings: 20 Bars (or 16 larger)
Calories: 255kcal
Cost: 9.66
Equipment
- Rimmed half-sheet pan (aluminum), lined with parchment paper
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons fat-free milk powder, optional
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon grated ginger (powder)
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- pinch black ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, use half if Morton's
- 1/2 teaspoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (65-70℉)
- 1 cup (200 g) light or dark brown sugar
- 1 (56 g) extra-large egg, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (80g) unsulphured molasses not blackstrap
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Raisins & Soak
- 1/2 cup boiling water, replace 2-4 tablespoons of the water with dark rum
- 1/2 cup raisins
Additional Mix-Ins
- 1/3 cup minced candied ginger
- 1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts, pecans, or chopped chocolate optional
Rum Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 5-6 teaspoons dark rum, substitute milk
Instructions
- Soften the Raisins: While you prepare the batter, in a small bowl, combine 1/2 cups raisins with approximately 1/2 cup of boiling water. The raisins should be covered entirely. Let them soak for approximately 10 to 20 minutes, while you prepare the dough, allowing the raisins to absorb the moisture and soften. Drain any excess water, and pat gently with a paper towel, to dry off. Set aside. See notes regarding importance of this step.
- Cream the Butter, Sugar, Vanilla, and Orange Zest (if using): In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and orange zest until light and fluffy, approximately 8 minutes. If you are using a hand-mixer, this process may take approximately 10 minutes. Key Indicator: The mixture will lighten in color, and the texture will become smooth, airy, and slightly increased in volume.
- Add the Eggs & Molasses to the Butter-Sugar Mixture: With the mixer on low, add the egg to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until combined, approximately 1 minute. Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the molasses. Continue mixing until combined with no visible streaks. Stop the mixer again and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, milk powder (if using), baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, cocoa powder, and salt.
- Add the Dry Ingredients to the Butter-Sugar Mixture: With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined. Mix in the raisins and crystallized ginger. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Avoid letting it chill too long, as the dough may become more difficult to work with.
- Heat the Oven & Prep the Pan: While your dough is chilling, arrange a rack to the middle of your oven and heat the oven to 375 ℉ (190℃). Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Form the Cookie Logs & Bake: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a disc with your hands. Cut the disc in half and form each half into 12-inch-long logs. There's no need to flatten each log. Attempt to make each log as even as possible (avoid tapering ends). Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Indicator of Doneness: The edges should be set and lightly browned, the center should feel soft but not raw when gently pressed with your finger or back of a spoon. It will harden up more as it cools.
- Make the Glaze: While the cookies are cooling, in a small bowl whisk together the sifted confectioner's sugar with the rum (or milk) until smooth. While the logs are still slightly warm, drizzle the glaze back and forth across the cookies. Allow the cookies to cool completely before cutting, crosswise, into 1 ½ inch slices (or your desired thickness). You can store the cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. You can freeze the cookies in an airtight freezer bag or container for approximately 3 months. To enjoy, remove from the freezer and allow to come to room temperature.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Ina Garten's Spiced Hermit Cookies
- Why you should soak raisins: Raisins can absorb moisture from the cookie dough during baking, potentially leading to drier cookies. Soaking ensures they stay soft and moist.
- You may also soak the raisins in hot or boiling orange juice or swap out all or part of the water for rum.
- If you add additional mix-ins, try not to exceed a total volume of 1/4 - 1/3 cup. If you leave out the candied ginger, you can be more generous with other mix-ins. You just want to ensure they bind properly, and too many mix-ins can cause issues.
Nutrition
Calories: 255kcal