I decided to make cookies yesterday and since I have been eying the Hermit Cookie recipe in my Passion for Baking book for a while now I decided to go with that. There was something appealing about a big cookie full of spices and raisins and dates and pecans... I've seen a couple of variations on these cookies, most of them seem to have the fruit macerated in some sort of liquor. Normally, that sort of thing is right up my ally, but yesterday I wanted something I could just throw together.
The other interesting thing about these cookies is that there is lemon and orange extract in the ingredients. I actually used lemon and orange oil instead (using half of the amount called for) since that's what I had on hand and the cookies had a prominent citrus flavor. After trying this version I will definitely set some time aside to try a version with macerated fruit, because surely, fruit flavored liquor can only make a good cookie better. :)
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp orange extract
1/4 tsp lemon extract
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground quick or rolled oats
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsps ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups raisins, plumped and dried
3/4 cup dates, finely chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Cream butter and brown sugars until well blended. Add honey, eggs, and extracts and then fold in flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend well and fold in raisins, dates, and nuts to make a stiff batter. Chill dough for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment or silpats.
For each cookie, using wet hands, roll about 1/3 cup cookie dough in your palms, making it round. Press slightly on prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 3 inches apart.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes until set and cookies are slightly flattened. Let cool on baking sheets.
2 comments:
these were very good! i was sorely tempted to grab a handful, but i'm trying to be a little less, er, biscuit-pusher friendly. no offense, you understand :)
p.s. that means you can feel free to make lots of fruit + chocolate stuff now until i drop, oh, a couple of dozen pounds or so :)
--jb
When people ask what's your favourite cookie, my answer is always hermits. Your look delicious to me - I love that there are so many things happening in one cookie.
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