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Chewy Hermit Bars | Leite's Culinaria

Chewy Hermit Bars | Leite’s Culinaria Leave a comment

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These chewy hermit bars are a revelation. They’re wonderfully spicy, plumped with raisins, and amazingly chewy–even fudge-like. The classic Colonial American treat meets the 21st century.

A tray of chewy hermit bars

Adapted from King Arthur Baking Company | The King Arthur Baking Company Essential Cookie Companion | Countryman Press, 2021

I grew up with hermit bars. The cookie kind, not the human kind. I liked them well enough, but they never seduced me.

Oreos, Kebbler Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Pepperidge Farm Brussels, on the other hand, knew how to flirt. Flashes of chocolate, indecent amounts of creamy fillings, that rapscallion crunch.

Hermit bars, on the other hand, had only raisins to boast about. We’d see them at homely farmstands and at really uninspired bake sales for the debate club. But they never made it to the snack table at the cool kids’ parties, like the kind Donna Doane and Bobby Heron threw.

When this recipe from the King Arthur Baking Company Essential Cookie Companion crossed my desk I nearly passed on it. But everyone went on and on about how chewy and almost fudge-like the bars were.

Had they somehow elevated the humble hermit bar to something fashionable? Something retro-camp-deluxe? I had to try.

To say these are “good” is doing them a grave injustice. Calling them “great” is an understatement.

These were so exceptional, The One took immediate ownership of them and–are you ready–snuck them out of the house and absconded with them to the city when I wasn’t paying attention. And keep in mind, this is the guy who turns up his nose at dessert if it doesn’t have chocolate or pumpkin in it. So that speaks volumes.

The folks at King Arthur Baking Company are my new knights in shining armor (said in my best tremulous Katherine Hepburn voice).–David Leite


Why our testers loved this

Our testers are gushing about this hermit recipe and for good reason. Jack V. is calling them the “best introduction” to hermit bars anyone could have and is delighted he has found “the perfect recipe.” We couldn’t agree more.

Notes on ingredients

  • Molasses–Use regular unsulfured molasses, not blackstrap. It will be too overpowering for the bars.
  • Unsalted butter–If you substitute salted butter, decrease the amount of table salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
  • Raisins–You can substitute dried currants or dried cranberries, if you prefer.

How to make this recipe

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a jelly roll or deep dish pizza pan.
  2. Beat the shortening, sugar, and butter together until fluffy. Mix in the molasses, salt, spices, and baking soda. Beat the eggs in one at a time.
  3. Mix in half of the flour. Add the water, followed by the remaining half of the flour, then fold in the raisins. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
  4. Bake the hermit cookies. When the edges are light brown, and the top is shiny, remove the hermit bars from the oven and cool to room temperature before glazing.
  5. Glaze the bars. Mix the milk and sugar together and use a pastry brush to coat the tops of the bars.

What can I substitute for the raisins?

I’ve used 2 cups of currants and, most recently, dried cranberries. Both worked beautifully. The cranberries did give these a different taste.

All I have is blackstrap molasses. Can I use that?

I’m afraid not. Blackstrap molasses has a strong flavor and will overpower the balance of the bars. Stick to plain ole molasses.

How do I make sure these chewy hermit bars are, um, really chewy?

At about 15 to 20 minutes, the bars will puff up and the top will look shiny. That’s your sign to yank these immediately from the oven. You’ll think it’s too soon, but I promise you it’s not. You’ll be rewarded with chewy, almost fudge-like bars. Hubba hubba!

Helpful tips

  • Store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
  • Use a pizza cutter to easily cut even squares.
A tray of chewy hermit bars

More great bar recipes

☞ If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David

Chewy Hermit Bars

A tray of chewy hermit bars

Think of the most delicious hermit bar you ever ate, the moistest, chewiest, nicely spiced bar, with a crisp shiny top and dense center. Okay? This bar beats that one, we guarantee it. If you count molasses cookies, spice cake, or gingerbread—​any of the old-​fashioned, dark and spicy baked goods with their long international history—​among your favorites, you’ll love these bars.

Prep 30 mins

Cook 15 mins

Total 45 mins

Dessert

American, New England

Make the hermit bars

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a 10- by 15-inch (25- by 38-cm) jelly roll pan, a 14-inch (35-cm) round deep-dish pizza pan, or similar-sized pan.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a , beat together the shortening, sugar, and butter, beating at medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

  • Add the molasses, salt, allspice, cinnamon, and baking soda. Mix for 1 minute, then stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

  • Mix in half the flour. Once it’s mixed in, add the water, then the other half of the flour. When the batter is mixed completely, add the raisins and stir until combined. Spread or press the batter in the prepared pan.

  • Bake the hermits until the edges are light brown, 15 to 20 minutes. They’ll puff up in the oven and the top will get shiny. As soon as you see this, pull the pan from the oven. The top will fall back down and the interior of the cookies will have an almost fudgy consistency. (If you leave them in the oven longer, you’ll get a product that’s more like a cake-type brownie, and it won’t be as moist and irresistible.) Remove the hermits from the oven and cool them in the pan on a rack before glazing.

Make the glaze

  • In a small bowl, stir together the milk and confectioners’ sugar until smooth; the glaze will be quite thin. Using a pastry brush, brush glaze on top of the hermits before cutting into bars.
  1. Substitutions–Use dried currants or cranberries instead of raisins.
  2. Storage–Keep hermit bars in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  3. Freezing–The hermit bars can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
  4. Slicing–Use a pizza cutter to make evenly sliced bars.

Serving: 1servingCalories: 233kcal (12%)Carbohydrates: 46g (15%)Protein: 3g (6%)Fat: 5g (8%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mg (5%)Sodium: 113mg (5%)Potassium: 129mg (4%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 26g (29%)Vitamin A: 60IU (1%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 14mg (1%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

#leitesculinaria on Instagram If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We’d love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews



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