There’s a reason why these cookies are such a hit. I mean, just look at them – what a thing of beauty, amirite? These babies are tall and thick with wonderfully crisp edges and super chewy and buttery centers. They’re jam-packed with chocolate chips and chopped nuts, and there’s even some grated Hershey’s mixed into the dough as well! Oh, and the cookie dough has ground oats in it, too, which makes them extra hearty. They have everything you look for in a chocolate chip cookie, and then some.
Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
The cafe’s signature cookie has an oat-based dough flavored with grated chocolate, mixed with all kinds of chocolate chips and chopped nuts. According to legend, one woman loved them so much, she asked her waitress for the recipe. The waitress agreed to share it for “two-fifty.” But to the customer’s surprise, her credit card was charged $250 for the recipe! Apparently, she was so mad, she shared the recipe with everyone she met out of spite. Years later, Neiman Marcus debunked the myth and shared the recipe for free.
Ingredients
Oatmeal – Blended oatmeal, to be exact. This is the secret ingredient and why these cookies are extra chewy! You can use steel-cut, whole, or quick-cooking oats. As long as you blitz them in a blender or food processor, that’s all that matters.Flour – It makes up the base of the dough. Use all-purpose flour for chewy cookies with a tender crumb.Baking Soda and Baking Powder – the leavening agents that make the cookies nice and tall. Salt – A bit of saltiness to contrast the sugars and chocolate. Don’t skip this ingredient, otherwise, the cookies will be cloyingly sweet. I also recommend sprinkling some sea salt over them before baking.Butter – It’s important to use softened, room temperature butter to keep the cookies from over-spreading. Set it out at the counter 30 minutes before you intend to use it. If you forget, simply stick it into the microwave for about 10 seconds. White and Brown Sugar – The combination of these 2 sugars yields the best cookie flavor and texture. Brown sugar is sweeter and contains molasses, which gives the cookies a deep, almost caramelized flavor and a chewy texture. You don’t want to use too much of it, though, as it’ll make the cookies too sweet – hence the addition of white sugar. Together, they make a perfect balance.Eggs – They bind the rest of the ingredients together. Use room-temperature eggs so they incorporate easily with the rest of the ingredients. Vanilla – Flavor enhancer. Always use good-quality vanilla for the best results – extract or paste, please!Chocolate Chips – There’s no rule about the kind of chocolate chips that should go into these cookies. Stick to one kind or mix and match – let your taste buds decide! You can also use a block of chocolate and chop it into chunks for a more rustic vibe.Hershey’s Bar, Grated – Grating the chocolate helps it incorporate more with the dough, giving you extra chocolatey cookie dough. I imagine you can also use cocoa powder as a substitute, although I haven’t tried it yet. Freeze the chocolate bar beforehand so that it won’t melt as you grate.Chopped Nuts – Walnuts, almonds, peanuts, macadamias – take your pick.
Tips for the Best Neiman Marcus Cookies
Don’t use oat flour in an attempt to simplify the recipe. Yes, it’s also a form of ground oats, but it’s too finely ground. You want the oats to still be a little coarse to give your cookies that special kind of chewiness. Measure the flour accurately – don’t just scoop the flour using your measuring cup and call it a day! That’ll give you more flour than you need, which will yield dense and doughy cookies. Instead, transfer the flour into the measuring cup using a spoon, and level it flat with the back of a knife. Test if the rising agents still active by dropping a teaspoon of baking powder and baking soda in a bowl of warm water and vinegar, respectively. You’ll know they’re potent when the solutions foam up upon contact.Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of sodium that goes into your cookies. If all you have is salted butter, that’s okay too, but just skip the salt in the recipe.Creaming the butter and sugars is essential as it incorporates air into the mixture, making the cookies super light and airy, not heavy and dense. Allot a good 2-7 minutes for this process, depending on how powerful your mixer is. You’ll know the mixture is ready once it turns smooth, fluffy, and lighter in color.Add the eggs one at a time. If you mix all at once, they won’t incorporate properly with the fat in the butter, which will throw the texture off. The best way to do it is to add one at a time and beat for 10 to 15 seconds after each addition.While it’s technically not required, I highly recommend you chill the dough before you bake it. This is the only thing I hate when baking cookies! But it does make a world of a difference both in flavor and texture. Give it at least 20 minutes to rest in the freezer, but better if overnight.If you love baking cookies, I highly recommend getting silicone mats. You’ll love how they keep the bottoms of the cookies from over-browning!You’ll know the cookies are done once the edges have turned golden. The middle will still look a bit raw, but that’s fine as they’ll continue to cook and set as they cook.Let them rest on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. This is the magic step that makes the cookies crisp and chewy around the edges and melt-in-your-mouth tender in the middle.
Cookie Mix-Ins
As if these cookies aren’t loaded enough, here are even more mix-ins you can add to make them all the more scrumptious:
Toffee bits, butterscotch, or caramel chips. Perfect if you’re a lover of the sweet and salty flavor profile.Drizzle the baked cookies with white chocolate or berry sauce. Besides the added flavor, it also makes the cookies even more Insta-worthy.Reeses Pieces or chopped peanut butter cups. Enough said.Chopped up Oreos. Or you know what, just place a whole Mini-Oreo right into the middle of each cookie dough. Cranberries or any dried fruit. For added texture and a pop of color.
How to Store Neiman Marcus Cookies
This recipe makes a HUGE batch so no matter how addictive they are, leftovers are inevitable. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container and leave them at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also refrigerate the cookies for up to 7 days, and then just microwave them for 10 seconds and it’ll be like they were freshly baked.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
You don’t have to bake all 96 cookies on the same day! Just store the rest of the cookie dough balls in the freezer for another day. Here’s how you do it: No need to defrost the balls beforehand, either! Just add 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time and you’re good.
Freezing Baked Cookies
Yes, you can also store leftovers this way. Place cooled cookies in freezer-safe bags with a sheet of parchment paper in between to keep them from sticking together. Freeze cookies for up to 3 months. Reheat the cookies in the microwave until warmed through.
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