Hermit cookies and caramel fudge are delicious requests you won't want to ignore.
Gary M. Chlan Sr. of Baltimore requested a recipe for "Baltimore's caramel fudge like that sold in Wockenfuss Candies," and Anne Van Aller of Woodbine requested a recipe for hermit cookies "like those Friehofer's bakery packages and sells in grocery stores in New York."
For the cookies, two responses, among many, were chosen by chef Gilles Syglowski. One is an oatmeal hermit from Mrs. Vincent J. Colimore of Cockeysville and the other a spicy hermit from Lucinda Rapatas of McHenry, Ill.
Rapatas' spicy hermits
Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg and beat well. Stir in water. Sift together all dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Beat well. Stir in raisins and nuts. Drop by teaspoons about 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 10 minutes.
Colimore's oatmeal hermits
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts
Heat oven to 350 degrees
Beat butter and sugar well and add eggs and molasses. Mix dry ingredients and stir into butter mixture. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Drop by teaspoons onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Colimore notes that her recipe is from "my grandmother who came from County Mayo in Ireland."
A fudge recipe for Chlan came from Lorraine Gourlay of Cockeysville, who wrote, "I recently bought some caramels at Wockenfuss and was amazed that they tasted so much like the ones my mother made in the 1930s. Hope you enjoy."
Gourlay's caramel fudge
2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup of milk
2 cups granulated sugar
pinch of salt.
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
