9 T butter, softened 1/8 tsp ground allspice
1 T plus 2 c all-purpose flour ½ tsp salt
1½ tsp double-acting baking powder 1 c coarsely chopped seedless raisins
1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ c sugar
½ tsp ground cloves 2 eggs
¼ tsp ground nutmeg ½ c dark molasses
¼ tsp ground mace ½ c coarsely chopped walnuts
------------------------
Preheat the oven to 350°. With a pastry brush, spread 1 tablespoon of
softened butter evenly over the bottom and sides of a 13-by-8-inch baking
pan. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the flour over the butter and tip the pan from
side to side to spread it evenly. Invert the pan and rap the bottom sharply
to remove the excess flour.Combining the remaining 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace, allspice and salt and sift them onto a long sheet of wax paper. Place the raisins in a bowl, add 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of the flour-and-spice mixture and toss together gently but thoroughly.
In a deep bowl, cream the remaining 8 tablespoons of softened butter and the sugar, beating and mashing them against the sides of the bowl with the back of a spoon until they are light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then add the molasses. Stir in the flour-and-spice mixture by the ½ cupful, and continue to beat until the batter is smooth. Fold in the reserved raisins and the walnuts.
Pour the batter into the floured, buttered pan, spreading it evenly and smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature in the baking dish and just before serving, cut the Harwich hermits into 2-inch squares. Makes about 3 dozen 2-inch squares.
