Makes: 4 dozen

All thanks and credit to https://fmanos.wordpress.com/2016/10/03/chocolate-iced-cookies-from-marshall-fields/ for this 1948 recipe for 3 ½-inch, nut-studded molasses cookie was spread with mocha frosting.

1 t. baking soda
3 T buttermilk
2 sticks (1 c.) butter
1 1/3 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. molasses
4 c. cake flour
1 t. each: nutmeg, cinnamon, salt
1/2 t. ground cloves
1 c. nuts, chopped
1/2 c. each: currants, raisins

Mocha icing:
5 T. butter
3 c. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 T. Dutch process cocoa
1/8 t. salt
5 T. hot coffee

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Dissolve soda in buttermilk; set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla to sugar mixture, then molasses and buttermilk mixture; beat well.

Sift together flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and cloves. Mix dry ingredients to wet mixture. Mix in nuts, currants and raisins. Drop dough by heaping tablespoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 min. per batch. Cool.

Frosting: Cream butter, gradually adding confectioners’ sugar, cocoa and salt. Add hot coffee. Beat until creamy. Spread thin coating of mocha icing on hermits.