Gingerbread Hermit Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix all of the dry ingredients ingredients together in a big bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together and then combine them. You can test the batter by tasting it before baking. I decided to bake these gingerbread hermits like brownies - I spread the batter into one greased 9 by 12 inch Pyrex baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a test skewer comes out clean. Let cool. They taste even better the next day.

1/2 cup shortening or oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup warm coffee
1 egg
3 cups whole wheat or white flour (add more if needed)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (less salt if using white flour)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cloves (optional)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 tablespoon of cocoa (optional)
1 cup raisins (add more if desired)