"Hermits" (GREAT cookies)

My mother Edna made these.  

They were her favorite cookies, and we ALL loved them.

They are great for the holidays !!!

Hermits  (great cookies)

2 Eggs

1  1/2 Cup Sugar (substitute 1/2 cup of brown sugar/1 cup of white sugar if you wish)

2/3 cup Oil

1 Tablespoon Syrup (any maple, Log Cabin, Ala-Ga, your favorite)

2 Tablespoons Orange Marmalade

1 Teaspoon Baking SODA dissolved in 1 Tablespoon Water

Cream the eggs, sugar and oil, add the syrup and Marmalade

3 Cups Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1/2 Teaspoon Allspice

1/2 Teaspoon Ginger

1 Cup seedless Raisins

1 Cup chopped nuts (Walnuts/Pecans, can be mixed)

Mix together the above DRY

Then fold in the eggs, etc from above, mix well.

Drop with a teaspoon onto greased cookie sheets and bake at 375 F (350 if you have a convection oven) until medium brown (about 12 minutes).  

 Yield 2 or 3 dozen (depending on size of cookie).

I have a small scoop, about the size of a melon ball, that I got at a restaurant supply.  Using that, I get 3 dozen cookies out of a single recipe.

This is a very old recipe, some say dating back to the 14th century.  The Orange Marmalade and Allspice give it the unique flavor.  

Enjoy !!

Edna Garren at her 95th birthday party