Iced Hermits

Iced Hermits

I was surfing foodie blogs today and came across this awesome cookie site "Every Last Cookie" and stumbled upon this yummy recipe by Martha Stewart. I was looking for something to bake that wasn't sweet. So I thought this must taste good cause it looked bloody nice! When I finished baking them and left them to cool and topped them with icing sugar mix..............I had a bite of it............it was chewy and gingery. Martha suggests the they are "best a day or two after they are baked so the flavours have a chance to deepen". It also lasts up to 5 days! So you can make batches of them without having to worry to eat them quickly before it goes off!

Iced Hermits ready to be scoffed down lol

Don't try to make if you hate ginger!! My boyfriend doesn't like it and I quite ...........like it lol (Am I in denial here? lol).

ICED HERMITS

Ingredients

Makes about 3 dozen

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for baking sheet
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped candied ginger, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cups packed dark-brown sugar
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole milk, plus more if needed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar, plus more if needed

Directions

1. Make bars: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet. Line bottom with parchment paper, and butter parchment; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and cloves in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Put butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg and yolk, and molasses. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Mix in 1/2 cup candied ginger and the raisins.
3. Spread dough evenly onto prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until firm, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool completely in baking sheet on a wire rack.
4. Make icing: Put brown sugar, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter has melted and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla and confectioners sugar. If icing is too thick to drizzle, stir in more milk, a teaspoon at a time. If icing is too thin, stir in more confectioners sugar, a teaspoon at a time. Let cool slightly.
5. Drizzle bars with icing; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup candied ginger. Let stand until icing has set, about 15 minutes. Cut into 2-inch squares. Bars can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.