Spiced Hermits

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) Smart Balance Spread
1 1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
3 Tbsp. molasses
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup raisins

Egg Glaze: 1 egg mixed with 2 tsp. water

Instructions
1. Use two cookie sheets (one will be in the oven at a time - and you can finish preparing the second pan while the first one is baking) -- Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit each sheet, then cut it in half lengthwise. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Sift the flour and measure in all the spices, the baking powder, soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a separate (large) bowl use an electric mixer to soften the Smart Balance. Add the brown sugar, eggs, molasses, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

4. Add the flour mixture gradually to the butter mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until all the flour is mixed in. Then divide the dough into four equal parts.

5. Using floured board and floured hands, work each part of the dough into a log about 12 inches long. Flatten it so that it is about 1/2 inch thick and about 3 inches wide.

6. Place the logs on the parchment papers - two per cookie sheet.

7. Using a pastry brush, paint the logs with the egg glaze. This will give the bars a nice shiny finish.

8. Bake bars for about 11- 12 minutes. Allow bars to cool for 10 minutes before slicing them into strips about 1 1/2 inch wide. Using a pizza cutter works well.

9. Store in an air-tight container

In Colonial Times, women made HERMITS for their sailor husbands who bought the hearty molasses-and-spice cookies on long ocean voyages. Packed away in thier own small tins like -- well, hemits -- the bars would last for weeks.

At our house, they last about four days!