Margaret Sullavan's Peanut Butter Hermits

"This little box makes you candy conscious!"

So said Margaret (in The Shop Around the Corner) to a rather hefty customer who didn't like the song a particular music box played when the lid was open. Margaret's sales patter was to suggest that every time the lady opened the box to get another chocolate, she'd be reminded of the sin she was about to commit!

As discussed here before, Margaret's Hermits are pretty sinful. Not for those on a diet... My lovely (and very knowleagable) work colleage Renee made some of these despite not having baked for about 20 years since Home Economics at school. As we are not in the vacinity of Graham Crackers, Ms Adoree used crushed up digestive biscuits. This will be suggested in the book. As I am planning a trip to Austin soon (top secret) I will bring back some Graham Crackers and try both versions side by side and have a taste test.

I do love it when test cooks send a photo of their finished items and when I get around to jazzing up the website I'll have a page for these. Renee's pic of her Hermits was utterly charming and she was very pleased with the results saying, "I may even attempt the recipe again and perhaps feel confident enough to let others try my cooking!'

I say YES my dear, and bring them into the office!

Margaret Sullavan's Peanut Butter Hermits

"Most actors are basically neurotic people. Terribly, terribly unhappy.
That's one of the reasons they become actors."

It's New Year's Eve and I have made Hermits for my workmates. It's like a ghost town here but we had to come in just in case somebody famous popped their clogs overnight and there was a clamour for footage. That hasn't happened. We should have brought in some board games, instead we've been finding pictures of fish in aspic on the internet to use as screensavers and - in my case - doing some research on Margaret Sullavan.

Oh, and reading cook books cover to cover is my new technique. It paid off yesterday when I discovered that the chefs at Pret a Manger feel that graham crackers (as found in the Hermits) are interchangable with digestive biscuits! I shall try that when I run out of GCs.

My French colleague Franchot was asking me just now why Margaret's biscuits were called Hermits. "Is it because they don't go out?" he asked. In turn I wonder if Peter Noone published a biscuit recipe it would be for Herman's Hermits...

Margaret Sullavan's Peanut Butter Hermits

"Most actors are basically neurotic people. Terribly, terribly unhappy.
That's one of the reasons they become actors."

Well there is a word of warning for myself and Grace. Might help prevent a cat scrap over the handsome new rockabilly...

Margaret's recipe stated that there would be enough cookie dough for "eighteen Hermits" and so there was. I packed some up for Ginger to take to a family lunch where they were a great success. Both Clark and Betty declared them to be delicious and Betty said that she would eat a lot of more of them if she wasn’t trying to lose a stone by next Sunday. Cyd is worried about her hips but nonetheless enjoyed them. I know what they are saying now I have just eaten one for breakfast. The calorific content of just one Hermit is probably equivalent to a big fry up.

I took most of the rest of the Hermits up to Penny at the shop. I was musing over why they were called Peanut Butter Hermits and she decided that it was because they were designed for people who lived alone and ate a lot of peanut butter.

Well I DO eat a lot of peanut butter, but by Jove I don't live alone. Thank heavens for my wonderful housemates. We are having a barrel of fun in the Stowe and on Friday night went to a rocking Grease themed party where I won second prize for my prom frock outfit. Later I learned some legs akimbo rock chick air guitar moves from Grace who was sporting a remarkable pair of electric blue skin tight Sandy pants. Ha ha. It's a great life.