One Expensive Cookie Recipe!

I got this email and had to share it, not just because I love cookies, but I thought it is a pretty funny story.

Happy baking!

A little background: Neiman-Marcus, if you don't know already, is a veryexpensive store; I.e., they sell your typical $8.00 T-shirt for $50.00.

My daughter and I had just finished a salad at a Neiman-Marcus Cafe inDallas, and we decided to have a small dessert. Because both of us aresuch cookie lovers, we decided to try the 'Neiman-Marcus cookie.' It wasso excellent that I asked if they would give me the recipe, and thewaitress said with a small frown, 'I'm afraid not, but you can buy TheRecipe.' Well, I asked how much, and she responded; 'Only two fifty -it's a great deal!' I agreed to that, and told her to just add it to myTab.

Thirty days later, I received my VISA statement, and the Neiman-MarcusCharge was $285.00! I looked again, and I remembered I had only spent $9.95 for two saladsand about $20.00 for a scarf. As I glanced at the bottom of thestatement, it said, 'Cookie Recipe-$250.00. ' That was outrageous!

I called Neiman'sAccounting Department and told them the waitress said it was 'twofifty', which clearly does not mean 'two hundred and fifty dollars' byany 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 moneyat this point.' I explained to the Accounting Department lady the criminal statutes which govern fraud in the State of Texas . Ithreatened to report them to the Better Business Bureau and the Texas Attorney General's office for engaging in fraud. 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 just said, 'Okay, you folks 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 theUnited States with an e-mail account has a $250 cookie recipe from Neiman-Marcus...for free.She replied, 'I wish you wouldn't do this.' I said, 'Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before you ripped me off!' and slammed downthe phone. So here it is!

NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES (Recipe may be halved)
2 cups butter
24 oz. Chocolate chips
4 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. Soda
1 tsp. Salt
2 cups sugar
1 - 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
5 cups blended oatmeal
4 eggs
2 tsp. Baking powder
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream thebutter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, bakingpowder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar, and nuts. Roll intoballs, and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10minutes at 375 degrees.

Makes 112 cookies