Upon returning from our 3-day hiking, biking, and camping adventure in northern Minnesota's Chippewa National Forest, a package awaited in my mailbox. Inside was a special birthday gift from my granddaughter. She had selected a recipe from a notebook I had given her... the pages filled with recipes handwritten by my mother years ago when I was a child. (She passed away in April 2011 at age 93.) Tucked into the box, alongside the cookies, was a copy of the Molasses Hermits recipe from the notebook... in my mother's old-fashioned style cursive writing. Take note of the uppercase S and lowercase t in the word "sift."
Raisins, molasses, a handwritten recipe passed down through generations, and a granddaughter's thoughtfulness provide perfect sweetness. There are no other sweeteners needed.
Molasses Hermits
Cream ¼ cup shortening (or butter), 1 egg beaten, and ½ cup light molasses. Sift 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ tsp soda, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp cloves, and ¼ tsp salt. Add alternately with ¼ cup sour milk. Stir in ½ cup raisins, chopped (or not). Drop by rounded tsp (or tbsp) on greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 10 min.