Hermits

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 shortening or oil
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup coffee
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped crystallized ginger (optional)

Cream together sugar and shortening. Add molasses, then soda dissolved in coffee. Add sifted dry ingredients. Add raisins, then beaten egg. make into long strips on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cut into pieces.

To make the strips, wet hands, make into 2” wide, 1/2” thick strips that are the length of the cookie sheet. The cookies will get much wider as the bake. They get better as they dry out, rather than getting stale.