I saw the recipe on the back of a newly opened bag of all purpose flour. I had to smile at the title: “Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies.” I immediately knew it was similar to the Neiman Marcus urban legend cookie recipe that has been around for decades. An unmistakable clue? The recipe included blended oats.
For those of you unfamiliar with the various narratives, here’s how the folklore works. In the 1990s, a woman at a Neiman Marcus Cafe in Dallas loved the chocolate chip cookies so much that she asked for the recipe. She was told it could be sold to her for “only two-fifty”. When the woman’s credit card bill came, the prescription cost $250 — as the story goes. The story attracted so much attention that Neiman Marcus developed a chocolate chip cookie recipe and gave it away for free.
Again, what makes it special is the ground oatmeal that lends texture and a somewhat soft chew. There are more than a few versions of the recipe, including one with a bar of grated milk chocolate. And nuts. Every bite is a pleasant surprise.
I made a batch for family and friends. Since I consider you, my readers, friends too, here’s a fun recipe you can make. It makes a lot so you can share or freeze to eat as the holidays go on.
$250 Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 spoon of vanilla
2-1/2 cups raw rolled oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon: baking powder and soda
2 to 2-1/2 cups chocolate chips – I used 1 cup dark and 1 cup milk chocolate
1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped nuts (optional) – I used walnuts
1 milk chocolate bar, 4 oz, grated (optional) – I did not use
Instruction
Preheat oven to 375.
Mix the butter and both sugars.
Beat the eggs and vanilla.
Finely grind the oatmeal in a blender or food processor.
Mix oats, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Slowly add to the butter mixture and beat until combined.
Stir in the chips, nuts and chocolate bar. Stir just to combine.
Drop by tablespoonfuls, about 2” apart, onto sprayed or parchment-lined cookie sheets.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned but still a little soft. They will continue to cook a bit on the hot plates. (Mine took almost 15 minutes because I used a 1” cookie scoop.)
Yield: 45-55 cookies.
Tips:
Freeze the raw dough
Roll the cookies into balls. Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm.
Place in labeled freezer bags.
Bake frozen, but expect a few minutes longer baking time.
The cookies were smearing too much
Sometimes caused by puddles or melted butter. The butter should be soft but still in shape.
Cookies remain too puffy
The dry ingredients may have been over-measured.
Whisk the flour a bit before scooping. Carefully measure the oats.