The $250 Neiman Marcus Cookie

Based in Texas, you know the urban legend regarding the $250 Neiman Marcus Cookie would have to be a whopper of a story. Supposedly a lady and her daughter after having lunch in the Neiman Marcus department store enjoyed the cookies so much she asked to buy the recipe to make them at home. Thirty days later when she checked her credit card bill she was charged $250 dollars for the recipe…Hah! If you believe this, well then you will believe anything, but it is a tall Texas tale that keeps getting told year after year. It has become part of the mythos that everything is 'bigger' in Texas, even the prices.

Anyway, there are several variations of this recipe floating around the internet, but this recipe comes directly from the Neiman Marcus company website. I have been making these cookies for years, and the bottom line is that this recipe like all chocolate chip recipes is a variation of the original Nestle Toll House cookie recipe. The ingredients and process to make them are the same, the only additional ingredient added to the Neiman Marcus cookie is espresso powder. There are some minor differences between the fat (butter) and sugar ratio, but otherwise it is the same basic recipe. My original thought was to place the two recipes side by side for comparison, however as they are so similar, I will post the Toll House recipe in another article to keep confusion to a minimum.

The Recipes

The Neiman Marcos cookie has more rise or thickness than the Toll House cookie as it uses both baking powder and baking soda to make them rise. In fact, the recipe as written has twice the leavening power of the Toll House cookie. I have included both a two dozen recipe (the original) and doubled the recipe to make a 4 dozen version, but I never make this many cookies at one time anymore.

Neiman Marcus Cookie (Makes 2 dozen)

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups chocolate chips

1½ cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons white sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Neiman Marcus Cookie (Makes 4 dozen)

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

3 cups chocolate chips

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

2 cups brown sugar

6 tablespoons (about 1/3 cup) white sugar

2 eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 teaspoons instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Add butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and espresso powder to the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the butter, espresso powder and sugar are creamed and fully combined. Then add the vanilla extract and the egg and and mix until well combined.

In a small mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then add to the mixer slowly while mixing at slow speed. Mix until all of the flour is incorporated into the butter and sugar mixture. Then add in the chocolate chips and mix for 15 seconds longer

Using a number '50' scoop (4 teaspoons), or using a 2 tablespoon measure, drop the cookie dough onto the cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the cookie dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into 2-inch circles (I do not make mine this flat, but feel free to do so, I simply leave mine as the scoop makes them). Transfer to the oven in batches and bake at 300 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until the cookies are nicely browned around the edges. Bake for a little longer for crispier cookies.

Cost Analysis

I am not going to lie to you, depending on your local grocery store, and if you by store brand cookies, it might actually cost more money for you to make your own chocolate chips cookies than it does to buy them off the grocers shelves. To make 2 dozen Neiman Marcos cookies it costs approximately $3.75 depending on the prices of the individual items at your local grocery store. You can buy an 18.2 ounce package 'Chips A'Hoy' cookies for $3.50 at my local Walmart. The biggest cost incurred when making these cookies is that of the chocolate chips. As I mentioned, I use half the recommended amount of chips (morsels) which does reduce the overall cost to $2.76 for 2 dozen cookies. That in itself is a savings of 30%, making them cheaper than store bought.

The cost of ingredients to make 2 dozen Neiman Marcus cookies at home is as follows: all-purpose flour ($0.28), chocolate chips ($2.38), butter (1 stick) ($0.68), brown sugar ($0.40), white sugar ($0.18), egg ($0.08), vanilla extract ($0.08), instant espresso powder ($0.04), baking soda (Less than $0.01), teaspoon baking powder ($0.02), salt (Less than $0.01) for a total cost $3.75. Don't forget reducing the amount of chocolate chips by half reduces the cost by $0.99, making them cost only $2.76.

If however you are concerned about the ingredients in the cookies that you serve your family, then making your own cookies is definitely worth the effort. In addition, kids love to help in the kitchen and they especially like to help make cookies. So if you are wanting to get your kids involved in learning how to cook, making cookies is a great way to spend quality time with your kids or grandkids.

Chips A'Hoy Cookies - Unbleached enriched flour, semisweet chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, dextrose, soy lecithin), sugar, soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, high fructose corn syrup, baking soda and/or ammonium phosphate, salt, whey (from milk), natural and artificial flavor, caramel color.

Neiman Marcus Cookies – AP-flour, sugar, butter, chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, dextrose, soy lecithin), baking powder, baking soda, salt, espresso powder, vanilla extract, and eggs.

Conclusion

The recipe for Toll House cookies have around since the 1930's and I think they are the gold standard of chocolate chip cookies. The Neiman Marcus cookie is basically the same cookie with espresso powder added, some call them Toll House Cookies for adults. I like to add ¼ cup chopped pecans to my version of the Neiman Marcus cookie, but it is not part of the original recipe. In addition, I only use half the amount of chocolate chips as the original recipe, I find that is plenty for us.

I have included both a 2 dozen recipe (the original from the company website) and by doubling the recipe, you can make the 4 dozen recipe which is proportionately more similar to the original Toll House recipe. When I use the 4 dozen recipe I cut down on the vanilla to 3 teaspoons, and only use 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, but that is my own personal preference, most people cannot taste the difference and the vanilla and chocolate is not overpowering.

This recipe is a great base to try substituting different ingredients such as 'Reese's Chips' or Mar's 'M&M's or a variety of different flavored 'chips'. My favorite is to use the Nestle mini-chocolate chips as they spread more evenly in the batter. I am also more partial to milk chocolate chips, but my wife prefers semi-sweet. As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.