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Neiman-Marcus cookie recipe

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LaraOnline

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 24, 2008
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I guess everyone in the US has got this email forward by now?

I''d love to hear any reactions / comments...

This is a true story.
Please forward when you finish reading!

A little background:

Neiman-Marcus, if you don''t know already, is a very expensive boutique
shop (they sell a typical $8.00 T-shirt for $50.00)

My daughter and I had just finished lunch at a Neiman-Marcus Cafe in
Dallas , USA . Because both of us are such biscuit lovers, we decided to
try the ''Neiman-Marcus cookie''. It was so excellent that I asked if they
would give me the recipe. The waitress said with a small frown, ''I''m
afraid not, but you can buy the recipe.''

I asked how much, and she responded; ''Only two fifty - it''s a great
deal''

I agreed to that, and told her to add it to my bill.

Thirty days later, I got my Visa statement, and the Neiman-Marcus charge
was $285. I looked at it again, and I remembered I had only spent $9.95
for two sandwiches and about $20 for a scarf. At the bottom of the
statement, it said, ''Cookie Recipe - $250.00''. That was outrageous!

I called Neiman''s Accounting Department and told them the waitress had
said it was ''two fifty'', which clearly does not mean ''two hundred and
fifty dollars'' by any reasonable interpretation of the phrase.
Neiman-Marcus refused to budge. They would not refund my money because
according to them; ''What the waitress told you is not our problem. You
have already seen the recipe.. We absolutely will not refund your money.

I explained to the Accounting Department lady the criminal statutes
which govern fraud in the state of Texas . I threatened to report them to
the Better Business Bureau and The Texas Attorney General''s office. I
was basically told: Do what you want. Don''t bother thinking of how you
can get even, and don''t bother trying to get any of your money back''

I said, OK, you''ve got my $250, and now I''m going to have $250 worth of
fun. I told her that I was going to see to it that every cookie lover in
the world with an e-mail account gets a $250 cookie recipe from
Neiman-Marcus for free. She replied, ''I wish you wouldn''t do that.'' I
said, ''Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before you RIPPED
ME OFF!'' and slammed down the phone.

So here it is! Please pass it on to everyone you can possibly think of.
I paid $250 for this, and I don''t want Neiman-Marcus to EVER make
another penny from this recipe!


NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES (Recipe may be halved as this makes heaps)

2 (500 ml) cups butter
680 g chocolate chips
4 (1000 ml) cups flour
2 (500 ml) cups brown sugar
2 tsp. (10 ml) Bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp. (5 ml) salt
2 (500 ml) cups sugar
500 g Grated Cadbury chocolate
5 (1250 ml) cups blended oatmeal
4 eggs
2 tsp. (10 ml) baking powder
2 tsp. (10 ml) vanilla
3 cups (375 ml) chopped nuts (optional)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the
butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour,
oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Add chocolate
chips, grated Chocolate and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches
apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees (180 C).

The above quantities make 112 cookies. Enjoy!



PLEASE KEEP THE RECIPE AND SEND IT TO EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW WHO HAS AN
E-MAIL ADDRESS!

This is not a joke-it''s a true story.
 

appletini

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 29, 2004
Messages
2,696
Those cookies are awesome! Everytime I have luch at the NM tea room I get one to take home for me and DH to share. I also have one of their cookbooks, so I do make those and other things from time to time.
 

heb1976

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 21, 2008
Messages
431
It''s fake. Check out Snopes...

http://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/cookie.asp

What gave it away from your post is the bicarbonate of soda(baking soda in the US), the Cadbury chocolate( I only see this at easter,and it''s not for baking! The most common baking Chocolate here is Hershey, Nestle and Ghirardelli) and the Metric system(which is rarely used for recipes, or anything)!
 

elrohwen

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
5,542
One time, years ago, my mom and I made these cookies and they were fantastic. You've inspired me to make them again! I'm absolutely sure the story is a fake, but that doesn't make the cookies less delicious.
 

Lulie

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jan 5, 2009
Messages
342
There are several versions of the cookie, Cadbury bars are a staple at World Market
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Hershey bars aren't for baking either, but in this recipe, any bar would work, they never melt giving a gorgeous look, I use 1 Hershey bar frozen/grated + Ghirardelli chocolate chips, def my fave cookie. The dough freezes beautifully for six months, thanks for posting Lara
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FrekeChild

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
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19,456
Date: 3/19/2009 9:16:56 AM
Author: heb1976
It''s fake. Check out Snopes...

http://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/cookie.asp

What gave it away from your post is the bicarbonate of soda(baking soda in the US), the Cadbury chocolate( I only see this at easter,and it''s not for baking! The most common baking Chocolate here is Hershey, Nestle and Ghirardelli) and the Metric system(which is rarely used for recipes, or anything)!
The Metric system is used far more than you''re aware of, in fact it''s all over the world, and I use it as an American (born and bred here). Speaking of which, LaraOnline is an Aussie, so it makes complete sense that she would get a recipe in the Metric system.

It is a fake, and NM does not sell their recipe.

I have seen Cadbury bars as well. Also, Ghirardelli, Hershey and Nestle make inferior chocolate products. They add a lot of hydrogenated oils, non-hydrogenated vegetable oils and in the chips they also add wax. Yuck.

But this is coming from a chocolate snob/pastry chef, so take that for what it''s worth.
 

ksinger

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 30, 2008
Messages
5,083
Lord, is THAT going around again? That''s been going around in one form or another since before computers were even invented! (OK...I''m exaggerating some.
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But is IS very very old. I seem to remember it from when I was a teen.)

And now that I just went to Snopes, I see that I DO remember it from then! LOL!
 

April20

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 1, 2008
Messages
3,372
I remember making this recipe as a teenager- I''m not even sure we had email then, so I''m not sure where we got the recipe, but the story was the same.

These are good when I have time to actually follow the recipe completely. I haven''t taken the time to do this in years, but I should. This recipe brings back so many memories!
 

Blair138

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Apr 8, 2008
Messages
1,207
If you go on the Neiman''s website...they actually give the recipe and explain the urban legend...Cookie recipe here!

I found this while figuring out how to pay my bill! I started cracking up
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heb1976

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 21, 2008
Messages
431
Date: 3/19/2009 4:43:17 PM
Author: FrekeChild

Date: 3/19/2009 9:16:56 AM
Author: heb1976
It''s fake. Check out Snopes...

http://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/cookie.asp

What gave it away from your post is the bicarbonate of soda(baking soda in the US), the Cadbury chocolate( I only see this at easter,and it''s not for baking! The most common baking Chocolate here is Hershey, Nestle and Ghirardelli) and the Metric system(which is rarely used for recipes, or anything)!
The Metric system is used far more than you''re aware of, in fact it''s all over the world, and I use it as an American (born and bred here). Speaking of which, LaraOnline is an Aussie, so it makes complete sense that she would get a recipe in the Metric system.

It is a fake, and NM does not sell their recipe.

I have seen Cadbury bars as well. Also, Ghirardelli, Hershey and Nestle make inferior chocolate products. They add a lot of hydrogenated oils, non-hydrogenated vegetable oils and in the chips they also add wax. Yuck.

But this is coming from a chocolate snob/pastry chef, so take that for what it''s worth.
Freke, I am well aware that the Metric system is widly used, even here in the U.S.. Frankly I find it much more user friendly, but that wasn''t my point. My point was that it would be highly unlikely that NM in Texas would give out a recipe in Metric. And if you go to NM''s website and view the recipe you see that they don''t. I am also well aware that it''s a fake considering they give away the recipe for free on their website.

Cadbury is not as common of a chocolate in the U.S., unlike Hershey and others. They are not as readily available here as they are overseas so that was my point, that I couldn''t imagine them stating that as an ingredient in the recipe.

I am not a huge fan of Hershey or Nestle but I LOVE Ghirardelli and they make different qualities of chocolate and many are fabulous for baking. I much prefer their rich flavor over Cadbury. Thanks for trying to help!
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FrekeChild

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
Messages
19,456
I wasn''t actually.

And once you use Callebaut or Valrhona, Ghirardelli and Godiva don''t hold a candle. And don''t get me started on Nestle or Hershey.

It should be noted that I still have Nestle and Hershey in my pantry. FI is not the chocolate snob like I am.
 

ladypirate

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
4,553
When this was going around, my dad did a parody version and sent it to friends. This probably provides way too much insight into my family''s weird sense of humor. Nonetheless, I present:

Say Cheese!

I received this unusual tale through the mail and thought some of you
would appreciate a nice recipe. This is a true story...

******* ORIGINAL MESSAGE FOLLOWS *******

My father and I had just finished a wonderful lunch of blood sausage
and baked veal kidneys at the Four Seasons restaurant in Beverly Hills
and were deciding what to order for a tasty dessert.

Because we are a family of jellied meat lovers, we decided to try the
"Four Seasons Hearty Head Cheese." Needless to say, we were not
disappointed!

Our dessert was so delicious, I asked the waiter if I could possibly
get the recipe, but he said with a small frown, "I''m afraid not."

Well, I said, "Would you let me buy the recipe?" With a broad smile,
he said, "Why, yes." I asked how much, and he responded, "Three
fifty." I said, licking my lips, "Just add it to my tab."

Thirty days later, I received my American Express statement with the
Four Seasons charge and it was $350,407.41. I looked again and
remembered I had spent $380.00 for the two lunches and about $30.00
for a cookbook on glazed sweetbreads. I glanced at the bottom of the
statement and read, "Recipe -- $350, 000.00." Boy, was I upset!! I
called the Four Seasons accounting department and told them that the
waiter had quoted me "Three fifty," for the recipe and I did not
realize he meant $350,000.00. I asked them to take back the recipe and
reduce my bill. They said they were sorry, but that the recipes were
offered at this price so that not just anyone could duplicate their
restaurant recipes...the bill would stand. I paused, thinking of how I
could get even or how I could try to get any of my money back.

Finally, I just said, "Okay, you folks got my $350,000.00 and now I''m
going to have $350,000.00 worth of fun." I told them that I was going
to see to it that every blood sausage and head cheese lover I knew
would have a $350, 000.00 recipe, courtesy of the Four Seasons... and
it wouldn''t cost my friends a dime! "I really wish you wouldn''t do
this sir," the accountant replied and I responded, "I''m sorry but this
is the only way I feel I can get even," and, of course…I will.

So, here it is. Pass it on to someone else or run a few copies....I
paid and, may I add, am still paying for it; now, you can have it for
free.


FOUR SEASONS HEARTY HEAD CHEESE


Have the butcher skin and quarter:
A calf head
Clean teeth with a stiff brush and remove ears, brains, eyes, snout
and most of the fat. Soak the quarter about 6 hours in cold water to
extract the blood. Wash them. Barely cover with fresh cold water, to
which you may add
(2 onions)
(5 cut-up celery ribs)
Simmer until the meat is ready to fall from the bones, about 2 to 3
hours. Drain but reserve stock. Chip the meat off the bones. Dice it.
Reduce the stock by one-half. Cover the meat well with the stock.
Reserve the brains.
Now add
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon mace or sage
Cook for 1/2 hour. Pour into a mold and cover with a cloth. Put a
weight on top. Serve, cut into slices, with:
French Dressing
to which you have added the diced cooked brains.


**********************


That''s it. Enjoy!

As I said, please distribute this recipe to everyone you know…single
people, health conscious friends, mailing lists…anyone you might know
who craves an old-fashioned dish of jellied meat.

This is not a joke --- this is a true story.
 

heb1976

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 21, 2008
Messages
431
Freke, oh, I''m sorry. I thought you were being nice! What was your point then?
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Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
40,225
Date: 3/21/2009 1:58:38 AM
Author: FrekeChild
I wasn''t actually.

And once you use Callebaut or Valrhona, Ghirardelli and Godiva don''t hold a candle. And don''t get me started on Nestle or Hershey.

It should be noted that I still have Nestle and Hershey in my pantry. FI is not the chocolate snob like I am.
Mmmmm. So good. Seriously. I''m not a baker (I''m a burner) but I love to snack on these, and in the VERY rare instances we bake (I print out the recipe and shop for it. John mixes and operates the oven and the oven TIMER-- the one I always forget) we use these. I have a recipe (which is now on a hard drive in storage) that I call the chocolate death cake (flourless chocolate cake recipe, with chocolate granache on top) and I never realized how much being a chocolate snot made a difference until I gave the recipe to a friend who used something other than the Callebaut I used, and then tried their version (my recipe just calls for chocolate, not the brand)-- I think they used Ghirardelli-- and it just wasn''t the same.

I''ve also had the Nieman''s recipe (from their website) a few times made by different people and the quality of the ingredients really impacts how these come out. Everything from the butter to the brown sugar. I had a friend a while back who baked when stressed (all the time) and had a pastry background, who used super high quality ingredients, and these were such a treat when she made them. But then, a I had them at a baby shower and they were made with just ''regular'' ingredients and I was really surprised at how much difference it made. The recipe is a good starting point, but as with everything in cooking (which I am good at) and baking (I suck), you have to pay attention to the details to get the best results.
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Now I have the (rare) urge to bake something. I''ll just here and it will pass. I''m sure. Just as soon as I can con John into baking me some COOKIES!
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Gypsy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
40,225
Date: 3/21/2009 3:49:23 AM
Author: heb1976
Freke, oh, I''m sorry. I thought you were being nice! What was your point then?
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I''m pretty sure Freke''s point was that some of your assumptions were erroneous, and she was being ''helpful'' instead of just blandly ''nice'' and letting misinformation continue... sometimes it''s more important to correct a mistaken poster, while being polite (as Freke was) rather than to just be nice for the sake of being ''nice.''
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FrekeChild

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
Messages
19,456
Thanks Gypsy. I agree entirely.

Top quality ingredients mean top quality products in most all instances. There are some where it doesn''t make a discernible difference. In my mind, cookies are one of those things that needs the highest quality ingredients because they aren''t mixed a ton. Especially with chunks of stuff that you''ll actually taste that don''t become just another ingredient in a dough.

I''m also a bit of purist as well as a perfectionist. When it comes to baking, I don''t joke around. Thats just what happens when you spent entirely too much $$$$$.$$ on culinary training...
 

ksinger

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 30, 2008
Messages
5,083
Date: 3/21/2009 1:58:38 AM
Author: FrekeChild
I wasn''t actually.

And once you use Callebaut or Valrhona, Ghirardelli and Godiva don''t hold a candle. And don''t get me started on Nestle or Hershey.

It should be noted that I still have Nestle and Hershey in my pantry. FI is not the chocolate snob like I am.
Never tried Callebaut. Never HEARD of it actually. (I will Google forthwith). But Valrhona? Mmmm! I use their cocoa in a special chocolate pound cake recipe I have. It is superior to all other dutched cocoas I''ve tried, although the Pernigotti cocoa available through Williams-Sonoma ain''t too slouchy. I used it for years, and still do sometimes. But mostly, Valrhona has beat it by JUST that little bit.
 

heb1976

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 21, 2008
Messages
431
Date: 3/21/2009 4:02:06 AM
Author: Gypsy


Date: 3/21/2009 3:49:23 AM
Author: heb1976
Freke, oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were being nice! What was your point then?
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I'm pretty sure Freke's point was that some of your assumptions were erroneous, and she was being 'helpful' instead of just blandly 'nice' and letting misinformation continue... sometimes it's more important to correct a mistaken poster, while being polite (as Freke was) rather than to just be nice for the sake of being 'nice.'
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Please do enlighten which assumptions were erroneous? What misinformation? I really don't understand this response to an innocent post.
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I was giving my OPINION to Lara of why I thought the email was fake according to factual and realistic differences. Nothing I said was actually wrong. Cadbury is not as common here in the U.S.. Most people don't use the metric system ( like a stated earlier, check out the recipe on NM, it's NOT in metric). I prefer Ghirardelli for my baking. In the U.S. we call it baking soda. Most people do use Nestle, Hershey and other more common chocolates for chocolate chip cookies (sometimes you can't beat a Nestle chocolate chip cookie for comfort food, but I'm not a chocolate snob!
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). Most recipes don't even suggest a brand unless it's a recipe put out by a company promoting their own brand. I was just pointing out that the brand stated was one that NM in Texas would most likely not use. And I do agree that it is important to correct mistaken posters! Hence my responses!
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