LOVE NOTE #139: Urban Myth? The $250 Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe

Happy Tuesday Foodies!

Ahhhh... yes, discussion of the infamous $250 dollar Neiman Marcus cookie recipe. However, sometimes after a visit from the beloved Neiman Marcus (NM), $250 dollars doesn't sound so bad after all!!! As we all know, NM is one of the places to get the biggest labels and at retail. If you're on a budget, maybe this place isn't an ideal stop (myself included as the reality is that my net worth is in the negative digits -MBA/medical school loans! Sometimes though, for a split second, it's nice to envision myself walking out of their shoe department with a pair of red-soled stilettos!)

So what about this urban myth? Did someone really have to pay $250 dollars to get the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe? Hmmm... well, posted on the Neiman Marcus website is the actual chocolate chip cookie recipe! Make your own batch. Share the cookies. Then tell the story behind the cookies. Whether your friends and family choose to believe the tale or not, the one truth that counts is these cookies are pretty darn fabulous!

So the verdict? Delicious, easy to prepare, and well, s000o photogenic... after all, we are talking about a designer cookie;) I found the recipe on the Neiman Marcus website so click here to go directly to the page. I also posted the recipe below. The low temperature and longer bake time yields a cookie that stands apart from the crowd... Neiman Marcus style! So aside from their big labels, the complementary house recipe is gracious indeed! When they say nothing is for free anymore, well, evidently, Neiman Marcus can prove them wrong:)

Ingredients 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 1 cup light brown sugar 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1-3/4 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds) 2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds. 3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips. 4. Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back

of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie. Yield: 2 dozen

What a wonderful basic recipe that you can dress up or down. Think macadamia nuts, M&Ms, fruits, white chocolate chips as substitution to the chocolate chips listed in this recipe! Experiment and enjoy:)

XoX,

Marikym