Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie

 

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie



http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/service/nm_cookie_recipe.jhtml

Since I was little I have loved baking cookies. I remember being 7 years old and trying to make Toll House Cookies from the back of the bag. I remember putting ALL the ingredients into the bowl not realizing you had to follow directions! I know my mother had to help me with that one but I kept at it and got really good. There is something about measuring ingredients, following a recipe, and putting it in the oven that seems magical to me, not to mention the benefits afterward!

Which brings me to this recipe. I got my first chain email years ago about the Neiman Marcus Cookie. This has become an urban legend. The condensed version of the story goes something like this: a mother and daughter went to eat lunch in Neiman Marcus. After raving about the cookie, she asked for the recipe and after offering to pay $2.50 she gets it. Only its $250 and she's mad. Her revenge was to give the recipe to everyone she knows asking them to give it to their friends and so on. This is not that recipe, although I will make that recipe soon I promise. I still have my copy of the email!

These cookies are the official Neiman Marcus Cookie recipe, right off their website.

They are delicous. I love the addition of esspresso powder and lots of vanilla. The dough texture is very thick so you have to press down each cookie before baking. As you know by now I do not use parchment and in this recipe I did not use my Silpat either. They turned out perfect without it, came right off the pan. Honestly, with 2 sticks of butter what doesn't? They have a more complex flavor than most CCC's and are a little crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. With good "chip exposure". That is one of my tasters definition of a good Chocolate Chip Cookie. Everyone raved about them so this recipe goes to the top of my Chocolate Chip Cookie file. Try them, you'll love them!

Alton Brown's "the Puffy"

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-puffy-recipe/index.html

I was very excited to try this cookie that used cake flour and baking powder instead of soda. I had reservations because it uses butter flavored shortening and I like real butter. I was hoping for a cake like cookie but it ended up thin and chewy. Not a bad result overall but not what I was expecting. I had my usual tasters try them. While they agreed puffy wouldn't be what they would call them they loved them, high marks on texture.

Texture: soft and chewy
Flavor: ok, I miss the butter
Difficulty: pan rotation and parchment paper
Unusual ingredients: cake flour and baking powder

Next attempt: I will try a brand new can of baking powder, maybe that would explain the "non" puffiness. Also, I would ditch the parchment and pan rotation.

Mari Artinian's Chocolate Chip Cookie

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-challenge/chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/index.html

These were made for the Food Network Challange. I am not sure if Mari won the challange, but I can tell you these are wonderfully thick and very flavorful. I love the addition of espresso and dark brown sugar. If you are a purist you may not appreciate them as much, but if are like me and like a a bit of change, you will love these.



Texture: thick and dense
Flavor: excellent
Difficulty: pan rotation and parchment paper
Unusual ingredients: Espresso

I liked that she used cold butter, so you don't need to plan ahead too much and wait for the butter to soften. I will not use parchment in the future. I don't think it makes much difference. I'll keep you posted.

Alton Brown's "the Chewy" chocolate chip cookie

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-chewy-recipe/index.html

This makes a thick, very tasty cookie. A little more work then a typical Chocolate Chip cookie (CCC) because of the rotation of the pan mid way during baking. Parchment or a Silpat liner was reccomended for this cookie and since I only own one I could only do one sheet at a time. I am not big on parchment paper, it rips, curls, and I make a big mess of it.

Texture: thick, a bit chewy
Taste: very good
Difficulty: a little effort due to the cookie sheet rotation
The "day after": even better!
Interesting ingredients: Bread Flour and Kosher salt.

Notes for my next attempt at these: turn on convection feature (may need to actually read the manual first). Get another Silpat or nix it completely. I can tell you now it will probably be the latter. CCC's have so much butter it doesn't seem worth the effort. Use regular salt, I swear I hit a few granules while sampling.

My Cookie Blogging Goal

This is my first attempt at my own blog. So why cookies? More specifically why Chocolate Chip Cookies? Frankly because those were the only cookies everyone in my house would eat. I would get bored and try others but was met with resistence so I stuck with the same tried and true recipe from my Kitchen Aid recipe book. They are good but I still needed to switch it up. So I have set out to make Chocolate Chip cookies with as many recipes as I can find and report my findings as to texture, flavor, difficulty, and the "day after" cookie test. I also have a willing group of tasters at home and work (they are so generous).