The $250 Neiman Marcus Cookie
Most have heard the urban legend of the Neiman Marcus Cookie recipe. If you haven't, it's easy enough to look up on line. Since then, many, many versions of it have circulated over the internet. Here is my version - a bit of work, but worth it.
Ingredients
2 1/2 C oat flour* (300g)
2 C all-purpose flour (8oz)
1 tsp each: baking powder, baking soda, salt
16 oz of chocolate or other chips**... my favorite combo:
4 oz (114g) milk chocolate, rough chopped***
8 oz (227g) bittersweet chocolate chips
4 oz (114g) of caramel chips
1 1/2 C chopped walnuts (180g)
100 g sweetened coconut flakes
1 C unsalted butter at room temp1 C sugar (200g)1 C brown sugar (200g) light or dark, your choice2 eggs1 tsp vanilla (generous teaspoon)
Directions
1. Mix together both flours, soda, powder and salt. Set aside.
2. Measure out and mix together chocolate, other chips, nuts and coconut. You can omit the nuts and/or coconut if you like. Set aside.
3. In a LARGE bowl, cream together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
5. Mix in first set of dry ingredients until blended.
6. This step is challenging, and I prefer to do it with my hands, almost like kneading dough (better yet, I prefer Rick to do it). Mix in all the choclates, chips, nuts, etc. until evenly distributed. The dough will be very stiff.
7. Using a size 20 cookie scoop (the volume would hold 50 ml of water) scoop out and place on two parchment (or silicone mat, which I prefer) lined cookie sheets: 30 mounds of dough (15 per sheet - this may vary depending on your cookie sheets). When scooping, make sure to press the dough into the scoop, and to flatten it accross the top of the scoop. Once on the cookie sheet, press and flatten each mound slightly.
If you do not have a cookie scoop, fill a liquid measure with 50ml of water. That volume should be your guide for the size balls you form with your hands.
8. Bake 10 min in a 375 convection oven, or 11 min in a 350 regular oven. Resist the urge to bake them longer!
9. Cool completely on baking sheet. These cookies freeze beautifully for several months.
Notes
This recipe is easily halved to make 15 large cookies. If you want smaller cookies, the baking time might be less.
* Oat flour can be purchased at most grocery stores. I prefer Bob's Red Mill. You can also make your own by putting the same amount (300g) of rolled oats in a food processor and pulsing until finely processed.
** I usually use Ghirardelli for all my chips, but I have also tried Bailey's chips instead of the caramel chips. Really, it's about personal preference.
*** Rough chopping a small amount of the chocolate from a bar is an extra step that is not necessary. If you have the time to do it, it creates some fun "chunks" that add variety to the texture. Otherwise, just use chips.
Credits: Neiman Marcus
Tags: cookies, sweets