Chocolate Hermits

Source: Happiness is Baking (Little, Brown & Company, 2019 ed.), pg. 134 and
Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 19.

How have I went this long baking Maida's recipes without making the Chocolate Hermits? These cookies are the bomb! Seriously, we can't stay out of them. 

Hermits are old-fashioned cookies that has been around since the 1800s. How they got their name is a mystery. I don't know why I thought the cookies would be hard. They are not but in fact super soft with an intense chocolate flavor with a delicious hint of cinnamon. They remind me somewhat of the Snackwell's Devil's Food cookies. They almost melt in your mouth. 

This is definitely one my new favorite cookie recipes!

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 1/4 sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. instant espresso or coffee powder
4 oz. unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnut or pecan pieces

Glaze

1/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1 TBS. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 TBS. milk or light cream
Pinch of salt 

Preheat the oven to 350. Line two cookie sheets with parchment or foil.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa, cinnamon and coffee.

Cream the butter and add the vanilla extract and sugar, beating well. 

Add the egg and the melted chocolate.

Add the milk.

Add the sifted flour mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Add the raisins and the nuts.

Scoop the batter out in a rounded tablespoon and place them on the cookie sheets about an inch apart.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until the cookies are firm and bounce back slightly when lightly pressed. Do not overbake.

While the cookies are baking, prepare the glaze.

Stir all the glaze ingredients (confectioners sugar, butter, vanilla and milk) until it is smooth. It should have a slightly runny consistency. You can adjust it by adding more milk (if too thick) or sugar (if too thin). In my experience, I had to add a bit more milk.

When the cookies come out of the oven, place a dollop of the glaze on each cookie. (I wasn't too happy with the way the glaze looked on mine so I will try and be more careful when I make them again).

After the glaze has dried, the cookies can be stored in an airtight container. Use wax paper to separate layers.

Petites Trianons

Petites Trianons
Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 119.


I thought this recipe sounded awfully familiar when I was making them and then a light bulb went off - Katharine Hepburn's Brownies.  I've made Katharine's brownies many times and they have always been wonderful. I compared the two recipes side by side and the only notable difference was that this recipe has 1 cup of flour while Katharine's only have 1/4 cup and one cup of nuts. When these were finished, however, they were not as good - very bland. It must be that the full cup of flour plays a big part in the overall taste and texture. These were also a bit dry and I probably baked them too long. Maida says 28 minutes exactly so I would take that with a grain of salt. Overall, I wasn't too impressed with these.

On the plus side, they are very easy to make with only a few ingredients -

Makes 16 squares or 12-14 bars

4 oz. unsalted butter
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8 inch square fan with foil and lightly spray or butter.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler over hot water. Set aside to cool slightly.

Stir in the sugar...

and the vanilla.

Add the eggs one at a time and mix well.

The book fails to mention what to do with the flour but I would assume that you add it now.

Bake 25-30 minutes. Do not overbake. They should remain moist in the center.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then invert it out onto a wire rack and let it cool completely. Cut into small squares. They can be frozen or stored in an airtight container.

Chocolate Chip Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate-Chip Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 33.

Since my last post and the near-disaster with the Irish Whiskey Cake and stove failure, we are in possession of a new range. It is much nicer than the one that just died. This one has a convection bake option which I have never used before. I love it so far and have been trying to get used to the new features. 

The first Maida recipe on the new stove are these cookies which turned out good. They are extremely nutty and I even cut back on the amount of nuts called for in the recipe. I had never really noticed it before but almost all of Maida Heatter's cakes and cookies call for nuts. I don't mind that although I am not a big fan of walnuts and sometimes use pecans in their place. I went ahead and used walnuts for these.

If you want these to remain soft, keep them stored inside an airtight container. Otherwise, they will become pretty hard - still good and edbile but if you prefer a soft cookie then do not leave them out. The recipe will make about 46 cookies.

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour 
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. instant coffee
1/4 cup hot water
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups quick cooking rolled oats
2 1/2 cups walnuts, broken into small pieces (NOTE: I used half this amount)

Preheat the oven to 350 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder and set aside.

Beat the butter until soft. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and then the sugar. Beat in the egg.

Mix the water and coffee and add.

Add the sifted dry ingredients in small amounts until combined.

Remove from the mixer and stir in the oats and chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

 Place rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto the lined sheets.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the tops of the cookies bounce back when softly pressed. The cookies are fairly thin so that is a bit difficult to do. The cookies will be soft when you remove them from the oven but will harden as they cool. Keep them on the pan for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Store airtight.

Georgia Pecan Bars

Georgia Pecan Bars
Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 147.

Pecan Pie will always remind me of my childhood and family holidays. At every family gathering, it was inconceivable that there not be a pecan pie. Of course, my mother, aunts and grandmothers made other great desserts as well but there would always be pecan pie. In the past, I've made Pecan Tassies which I think is similar if not the same as this recipe. This is like a pecan pie in miniature, much easier to eat in bite-size pieces. It is a bit different though in that the filling is more firm and there are no ground nuts in the filling.

These are easy to make and I just used a hand mixer. I would follow the directions on cutting the bars carefully to avoid disappointment. The only problem I encountered was that the filling seeped underneath the foil lining in the pan. There was probably a tear and Maida advises to press the foil into place with a folded towel or pot holder. It did not affect the outcome of the bars but I had to use a spatula to get the corner unstuck.

The recipe makes 32 bars.

Crust

1 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
4 oz. (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan with foil. Brush melted butter over the foil and up the sides.

Sift the flour and baking powder together. Stir in the sugar. Add the butter into the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender and combine until it resembles fine meal. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and press it down firmly. Set aside and prepare the filling.

Topping

2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup dark corn syrup (light syrup is ok as well - it is what I used)
3 TBS. sifted all-purpose flour
2 cups pecan halves (do not cut them)

Beat the eggs lightly and add the vanilla, sugar, corn syrup and flour, beating until smooth.

Pour the topping over the crust, making sure that the mixture covers it evenly and completely. Place the pecan halves over the top. You can also grind the nuts if you wish and sprinkle them over the top. Placing the whole nuts on top is a bit time-consuming so you might want to elicit some help.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, reversing the pan halfway during baking. The cake may puff up during baking. Keep and eye on it and if this happens, you can prick it with a fork or toothpick and release the air. Bake until golden brown. Do not overbake.

Cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then invert onto a rack and carefully remove the pan and peel off the foil. Let the cake cool completely, then place it in the freezer for about a half hour. Remove from the freezer and use a serrated knife to cut the cake into bars or squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or you can freeze them. 

Yum

Skinny Peanut Wafers

Skinny Peanut Wafers
Source: Maida Heatter's Brand-New Book of Great Cookies (Random House, 1995 ed.), pg. 89.

This is one of Maida Heatter's most popular recipes. It has appeared in Food & Wine magazine and a restaurant in Miami Beach put them on their menu. It is very simple with a minimum of ingredients. That said, the first time I made them, I realized I had made a mistake when they did not spread out like she said they would. I made them in too much of a hurry and used baking powder instead of baking soda. The cookies actually tasted fine but I was determined to do them correctly. Once you've made them, you can whip these out in no time!

Imagine a very soft peanut brittle - the flavor is wonderful. If you are having company, make an extra batch!




1 cup salted peanuts plus additional peanuts to use as topping (honey roasted are recommended)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 TBS. unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sifted unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 large egg
2 TBS. milk

The full recipe is available on the Washington Post website.

Scotch Shortbread Cookies

Scotch Shortbread Cookies

Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.), pg. 235.

I must confess that I am not a big fan of shortbread but Michael loves it. I made these for his birthday and he loved them. The Swedish Jelly Cookies are one of his favorites and although technically they are not shortbread, they do remind me of these cookies. He thought so too and put apricot preserves with them.

The dough did not hold together that well for me and I almost added more butter but decided against that. This could have been an issue with the butter temperature. I let it sit for a while on the counter to come to room temperature and perhaps it needs to be very cold. Even though the dough did come together in the mixer, it did when I kneaded it but was still very crumbly. This recipe creates a bit of a mess and when the cookies are finished, you can expect lots of crumbs when transferring them to the rack. 

So, this was definitely a "trial and error" recipe but overall, an easy one with a minimum of ingredients.

1/2 lb. (2 sticks) butter
1 cup strained confectioners sugar
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups strained cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat for a few minutes. Lower the speed of the mixer and gradually add the flour and cornstarch, beating until it holds together. (I had a problem with this and the mixture refused to hold together. I beat it for several minutes and went ahead and transferred it to the board and kneaded it and it did come together).

Turn out onto a board and knead lightly. Use one half of the dough at a time. Keep the dough that you are not currently using in an airtight container.

Roll the dough to 1/4 to 1/3 thickness. Cut out rounded pieces with a cookie cutter. Re-roll the remaining scraps of dough. Place the cookies on an unbuttered cookie sheet. 

The recipe instructs you to pierce each cookie three times with a fork. I forgot to do this but they turned out fine. 

Bake for 20-22 minutes, rotating the pan half-way through. The cookies are done when they are barely colored (not brown). Do not overbake. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Taking a hint from another great recipe - Swedish Jelly Cookies - you might serve these with a collop of apricot preserves.

Yum

Strawberry Gooey Butter Cookies

Have you ever had a cookie that was so simple to make, yet so delicious that you couldn't stop eating them?  Well, that was pretty much me with this cookie recipe.  

I have a Christmas Gooey Butter Cookie recipe that is always a big hit, so I needed another version that could be made at any time during the year, but would be extra special for Valentine's Day.    

These pretty pink cookies are soft and chewy and seriously irresistible.  The white chocolate chips add a nice contrast of flavor.  One batch makes around 40 cute little cookies, so they are perfect to make and share with friends (or you can eat them all) . . .  

I added some strawberry extract to the cookies for a little extra boost of flavor.  Sometimes strawberry extract can be hard to find.  I ordered mine online.  It is an optional ingredient, so you can always leave it out and still have delicious cookies.

You might also like:

Strawberry Brownies

Strawberry Cookies 'n Cream Cookies

White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars with Strawberries

Strawberry Gooey Butter Cookies
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe)

8 Tbl. unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. strawberry extract, opt.  
1 (15.25 oz.) box strawberry cake mix
1/2 (heaping) cup white chocolate chips
1/2 - 3/4 c. powdered sugar

In a large bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese.  Add the egg, vanilla and strawberry extract and mix until combined.  Add the cake mix and mix until combined.  Stir in the white chocolate chips.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 24 hours.  I like to refrigerate mine overnight.  The longer you can refrigerate the dough the less sticky it will be.  

Once dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place powdered sugar in a small bowl; set aside.  Using a one-inch cookie scoop, scoop out dough and roll into a ball.  Roll dough ball in powdered sugar, completely covering the entire ball.  Place on a greased cookie sheet and repeat with remaining dough.  Flatten dough balls slightly and bake for 10 minutes.  Cookies will look under-done, but they will be perfect.  Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.  Makes around 40 cookies.    

Carrot Loaf

Carrot Loaf

Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.), pg. 180.

Recently, I heard from a reader who wanted to make Maida Heatter's Carrot Cake in a loaf pan but had problems with the cake sinking. I knew there was a Carrot Loaf recipe in one of her books so I suggested that she might try it. In the meantime, I made it a few days ago. It is good but not really as flavorful as the carrot cake. Adding the icing to this might help although the consistency is a bit different. This is made with milk as opposed to oil which I'm sure contributes to the heaviness factor. 

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup raisins

1 cup grated carrots

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 stick melted butter

Preheat oven to 400. Use the bottom rack. Butter and dust an 8-10 capacity loaf pan with fine, dry bread crumbs.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and set aside.

Mix together the raisins, carrots, walnuts and sugar in a large bowl.

Beat the eggs lightly and beat in the milk and the melted butter.

Add the flour mixture - stir until blended.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Cool on a rack for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan.