This classic cookie is loaded with raisins, walnuts, and chocolate chips. It has a hint of coffee flavor, and a whole lot of spice, all wrapped up in a soft and chewy cookie.
Happy New Year everyone! I always love the start of a new year. To me, it means a fresh start, and new goals that will become new achievements (that’s my type A personality talking).
I’ve been reminiscing about my childhood a lot lately. I guess it’s from watching my boys during the holidays. It has brought back many wonderful memories, like all the different places my family and I have lived, and all the food and laughter we’ve shared over the years.
So for the blog, I’ve decided to go back to my roots. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be sharing some of my first, tried-and-true recipes that I’ve had for many years, and the classic recipes.
Hermit cookies are the very first thing I ever baked. The recipe is from HP Books Cookies by Natalie Haughton, which is a cookbook I bought from a school book fair back when I was in grade six. What appealed to me about this recipe was all the different flavors in it. There are raisins, nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and coffee. The only change I made to the original recipe is that I added some chocolate chips to give it a mocha flare, and topped it with some glaze for extra sweetness.
These cookies are a New England classic dating back to the late 1800s. The name comes from how long they can be stored and some say Hermits are the original spice cookie. (source Joyofbaking.com, Foodess.com, and SunMaid.com)
It’s very easy to fall in love with these cookies because of all the different flavors and textures. You’ve got the harmony of all the different spices with the subtle hint of coffee. There are sweet raisins, crunchy walnuts, and melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chips all in one delectable soft, and chewy cookie.
It’s has been awhile since I’ve made these, and I’ve forgotten how delicious they are. Now I remember why I’ve made them so many times; the page had to be taped back into the book. Also, while the cookies were baking in the oven, the house was filled with a memorable, and comforting fragrance of coffee and spice.
Wishing you and your family a very sweet, prosperous and healthy New Year! Lots of love from the Ernst family.
PrintMocha Hermit Cookies
This classic cookie is loaded with raisins, walnuts, and chocolate chips. It has a hint of coffee flavor, and a whole lot of spice, all wrapped up in a soft and chewy cookie.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 dozen
- Category: dessert, snack
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (114g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (175g) packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp instant-coffee granules
- 1 1/2 cups (185g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 cup (80g) raisins
- 1/2 cup (65g) walnuts
- 1/2 cup (90g) chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)
For the glaze (optional)
- 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
- 2–4 tsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, egg and coffee until fluffy.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, beating again until blended.
- Stir in the raisins, walnuts and chocolate chips.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or tablespoons, drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or just until the edges are lightly browned.
- In a small bowl, whisk the milk into the powdered sugar, one teaspoon at a time until you reach a thick, but pourable consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over top of completely cooled cookies.
Keywords: hermit cookie recipe, raisin chocolate chip cookies, walnut chocolate chip cookies
I’m also sharing this recipe at Fiesta Friday #100, hosted by Angie@TheNoviceGardener
Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispies Treats
Mini Turkey Pot Pies
Tropical Mango Vanilla Cupcakes
I decided to bake these cookies for my co-workers and they all loved it! Thank you!
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These sound lovely, especially with your delectable description of the tastes and textures! How sweet to have shared the first recipe you ever baked. It must bring back a lot of memories. 🙂
Thank you and nice to meet you:)
Lily, These cookies look so scrumptious!
Thanks Sandhya and have a wonderful day:)
I have not thought about hermits for years, and this recipe and those cookies look particularly good! They’re going on my list of must makes!
Thanks for bringing this to Fiesta Friday and have a very happy New Year! I’ll be pinning to our FF board just in case no one else has yet! 🙂
Thanks Mollie and happy New Year to you too!
These cookies sound amazing to me! I just love all of the goodies in them and the addition of coffee put them over the top! Isn’t amazing how quickly our children grow and at times remind us of our own childhood?
I read the ingredients and I saw coffee! Now I know these must be good, very good! 🙂 Happy New Year, Lily!
Thank you Angie and happy New Year to you too:)
These cookies look wonderful and sound so yummy! 🙂 Happy New Year!
Thanks Nancy and have a sweet, healthy and prosperous 2016!
Those are some really wonderful cookies. I think cookies are perfet party food, portable, delicious and you can easily carry around and mingle. Thank you so much for bringing to the party and Happy New Year.
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I agree, cookies are perfect for sharing and mingling with. Have a wonderful 2016:)
Who doesn’t love a nice chewy cookie? I’ll eat these double fisted! Great post, Lily!
Thanks Patty and happy New Year:)
Your cookies look fabulous and I bet they taste real good too! I recently bought a cookbook just on using coffee in recipes and coffee does add some depth and some additional flavor. Going to keep this one to add to my cookbook. Thanks for sharing with Fiesta Friday and Happy New Year 🙂
They look so utterly delicious that I want to become a hermit right now! Thank you for bringing them along to our Fiesta Friday extravaganza – I’m sure they’ll go down a treat with the other guests!
Ginger x
Thanks Ginger and thank you for co-hosting. Happy New Year:)