Hermits are originally a cookie loaded with raisins and currants. They are full of warm spices such as nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and ginger.
Hermit cookies originated in the New England area. In 1880, the young ladies of the Trinity Church, Plattsburgh, New York published the cookbook Champlain Valley Book of Recipes with a Hermits recipe.
I’ve made a lot of hermits in the quest to find the “ultimate” hermit. Most are too thin and don’t have enough spice flavor. 
I love a cake called Spanish Bar Cake which is similar to a hermit in flavor and texture but is a cake. I started looking for a hermit recipe that was a cross between a cookie and a cake.
This recipe I found on pastrieslikeapro blog looked like they were right up my alley. The height of the hermit is higher than a cookie but not as high as a cake.
Helen is a self taught baker and owned a bakery for 25 years, so I guess we can say she knows what she’s doing! 
These hermits were higher than the usual but not as high as a cake. They baked perfectly. The only thing I didn’t care for was the icing made with lemon juice and confectioners sugar. So I made some of my usual lemon icing, but thinned down more than I would use for a cake. They were delicious with the lemon icing, but quite frankly these would be just as delicious with no icing at all!!
These are truly something you should try.
Hermit Bars with Lemon Icing
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup light molasses
Lemon Icing
1–1/2 cups confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp shortening such as Crisco
1 tsp lemon extract
milk to desired consistancy
Instructions
Line the bottom of a 9×13 pan or a quarter sheet pan with parchment. Spray the parchment and the sides of the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and mix in completely.
Add the molasses and beat until combined.
Add the flour and beat until combined, scraping often.
Scrape into the prepared pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Because this is a sticky batter, it is easiest if you use a damp spatula. I take my pan over to the sink area and run cold water on the spatula. I shake off the spatula to remove excess water and spread the batter. Repeat the wetting of the spatula as often as it takes to smooth and even out the batter.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Immediately upon removing them from the oven flatten the edges which will be higher with an offset spatula. Cool completely.
Go around the edges with a spatula to release them and turn the Hermits out. Leave them upside down.
Ice if desired, and cut into squares or rectangles.
Notes
You can ice these bars or not. They are delicious either way. Storing them would be easier without the icing as they won’t stick together. For the icing, you can either use the shortening or not. I wanted the consistency of a frosting instead of an icing so I added the shortening. It would be fine either way.
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