Hermit Cookies

Submitted by Betty Blystone

Ingredients

1 ½ cup brown sugar

1 ½ cup white sugar

1 ½ cup shortening

3 eggs

4 cups flour plus extra for coating fruit

¾ cup molasses

½ cup sour milk or butter milk

1 cup mixed dried fruit

1 cup raisins

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tarter

½ teaspoon mace

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Toss the dried fruit and raisins in flour.

3. Cream shortening, add sugars and eggs.

4. Add flour mixed with other dry ingredients alternately with molasses and sour milk.

5. Add fruit and raisins last.

6. Spread in two 10x15 inch rimmed pans and bake 25-30 minutes.

7. Cool slightly, frost lightly, cut each pan into 48 bars.

From Chef Betty: A story in honor of my mom, Betty Blystone. Mom often baked large batches of cookies and froze them; reasoning that she would have something home baked she could quickly defrost and offer to unexpected guests. What she learned, over time, was that her children had discovered how fast and easily a cookie would defrost in their mouths.