Maple Hermit Cookies

Hermit Cookie Recipe for Santa Claus

It’s that time of year when children are anticipating the arrival of Santa Claus and his eight reindeer! Folks like to participate in the time-honored tradition of leaving out treats for a kindhearted gent. We have to treat the guy who whisks around the world delivering gifts for good boys and girls with only the best of cookies.

For many cultures, it is expected to leave a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa Claus on his yearly Christmas Eve visit, and also a few carrots for his reindeer. Every country has its own unique flavor of what they leave out for jolly old Kringle, and you may be surprised by some of these customs.

For example, in the US, it is believed that giving a snack to Santa and his reindeer began during the Great Depression when parents wanted to instill giving in their children. My personal favorite is in France, where they place a glass of wine out for Père Noël. No matter what your tradition is, this cookie is a joy for any occasion.

Spicy Hermit Cookie 

I found this recipe in the 1991 edition of Sugarhouse Treats cookbook sponsored by the Vermont Maple Festival Council. My favorite cookbooks are ones where locals contributed their favorite recipes, and some organizations or churches put them all together for a fund-raising project. I inherited this cookbook from my grandmother and that makes it even more special.

Traditional Christmas Cookies

My family always baked cookies for our traditional cookie plate, finding a special recipe, gathering the ingredients, mixing, and baking, which is all part of the holiday tradition leading up to Christmas Eve. When family members prepare food together, it engages the holiday spirit and builds fond memories to draw on when your children are parenting the next generation.

When you cook with your kids, you’re gaining way more than a holiday tradition, you're instilling a family culture that will nurture their family values when they become young adults. Cooking and baking engages their senses and allows them to be a part of meal planning. Children who cook learn critical thinking skills and tend to develop healthy lifestyles that they carry into adulthood.

Healthy Cookie Recipe

This Maple Hermit Cookie recipe uses whole wheat flour. I use King Arthur baking flour almost exclusively in my kitchen. King Arthur Baking is a Vermont company that sells a variety of flours. If I can’t find what I’m looking for locally, they have a massive baking website from which to order.

Why are my Cookies Flat?

The first time I whipped up this recipe, my cookies baked flat and didn’t have that nice, rounded look, and soft chewy cookie feel. There are several reasons why your cookies look like pancakes; and fortunately, baking hacks exist to ensure you get the best result for your efforts. In this instance, it was due to a ratio of too much fat to flour. I remedied this by adding additional flour to the batch.

Maple Syrup as a Sweetener

Maple syrup and maple sugar are the only sweeteners in this recipe. Maple is a natural product filled with antioxidants and nutrients, as well as gluten-free and vegan. When I make a recipe that I want to have a bold maple flavor that rises above all the other flavors, I turn to the Very Dark Strong Taste/Baking syrup. This is what we used to call Grade B. The new grading system, introduced in 2014 for Vermont consumers, refers to all grades of palatable syrup as Grade A. At Carman Brook Farm, we use a market descriptor called “Baking” when we refer to the syrup that used to be the old Grade B.

The other plus of this cookie is the massive amount of fruit and nuts, why even Santa’s reindeer may want to eat these treats and forego the carrots! I think you could use up any dried fruit or nuts that are in your pantry. I did use the dates and raisins, but I think if you have dry pineapple, apricots, or cherries they would all be delicious. I also used almonds because they are my favorite.

Christmas Spices

These cookies are packed full of flavors that complement each other nicely. The three spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, are on the holiday must have guide from my favorite spice company in Pennsylvania, and they just round out this treat with a big, bright, and bold combination of flavor.

Maple, dates, raisins, nuts, and chocolate combined with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, here’s to an extra present for you from Santa after he leaves your home well satisfied. 

Maple Hermits

By Debra Whitney

Ingredients:

 Directions:

• Cream butter, sugar, and syrup. Beat in eggs
• Sift dry ingredients and add to butter mixture
• Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
• Drop by tablespoons on greased cookie sheets
• Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.