Aunt Naomi's Hermits

Aunt Naomi wrote that these fruit bars were [Uncle] "Brigham's favorite cookies." Tell me... how do you feel about... hermits?

AUNT NAOMI'S HERMITS
1 cup butter
1½ cups sugar (part white and part light brown)
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup raisins
½ teaspoon baking soda, in 2 tablespoons boiling water
2½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons molasses
1 small package mixed fruit peel

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a jelly roll pan (aka a cookie sheet). Cream together butter and sugar, then add beaten eggs and molasses. Add boiling water/baking soda mixture. Blend well, then add dry ingredients, mixing in nuts, raisins and fruit peel last. Spread mixture out in prepared pan and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and hermits are a delicate brown.

Remove to a cooling rack and cut while still warm. "I cut mine on the diagonal," wrote Aunt Naomi, and further provided this helpful diagram:

They also freeze well! Is there nothing these cookies cannot do?!

Makes as many hermits as you can cut from a jelly roll pan, I guess.

Contributor: Naomi Card