Christmas is for Cookies!!!

When I was growing up, my mother and grandmother would always make cookies, cookies, cookies at Christmas time.  There were the traditional favorites, Chocolate Chips, "Press Cookies," Butter cookies, cut into Santa, stars and trees and iced and decorated.   I try to carry on that tradition every year and this year is no different.  I have adopted my own favorites and the "Neiman-Marcus Cookie" has quickly become one of my family favorites.  I make this recipe in it's full size (112 cookies) but it can my halved very nicely.  There is a story about this recipe and it goes back to the days when the high end Department Stores had cafes/restaurants to accommodate their loyal patrons.  This was of course before the days of the "food court" and ladies would make all day affairs out of their trips to these stores.  Well Neiman-Marcus became known for this particular cookie and they were unwilling to share the recipe with the ladies for anything less than $250.  As the story goes, one lady was so upset about having to pay for this recipe that she immediately sent it to the newspaper and it quickly spread around the community.  Now the recipe has been spread via the internet and of course Neiman-Marcus no longer has cafe's or even makes these cookies.  So try them yourself and you will see just what all the hub-bub was about!!

NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES
Ingredients
2   cups butter softened
24  oz. chocolate chips
4   cups flour
2   cups brown sugar
2   tsp. baking soda
1   tsp. salt
2   cups sugar
1   8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
5   cups oatmeal blended in your blender
4   eggs
2   tsp. baking powder
2   tsp. vanilla
3   cups chopped nuts (I use walnuts)

Measure oatmeal and blend to a fine powder in your blender.  Cream the butter and both sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture.  Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda.

Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and chopped nuts.

Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
Makes 112 cookies.


Bon Appetit!!!