Famous Cookies - originally posted on Aug 6/13

Back at Christmastime, I bought some cookies at a church fundraiser.  They were so delicious I asked for the recipe.  I was told that they were Neiman Marcus Cookies (you know, that famous department store in the US?)  Well, I had never heard of Neiman Marcus Cookies but I guess in some circles they're all the rage.  Go figure.  Laura Dart got ahold of the recipe and spent some time perfecting it.  The cookies that I tasted that day and the ones I made today are spectacular.  Kinda makes me want to go south and try the originals.

These are  a little more fussy than the usual chocolate chip cookie recipe, but it's worth the effort.  Also, I cut the recipe in half and still gave my mixer a workout.  Try them and tell me how yours turned out.

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups oats, ground until fine, like flour.  Use your food processor or blender for this.
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips 
• 9 oz grated chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups of chopped nuts 

Cream the butter and sugars together until the mixture looks light and fluffy.  Scrape down the bowl and beat again.  Add the eggs and vanilla, beating and scraping down until it's fully incorporated.
Mix the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.  Add to creamed mixture, then stir just to get it going but not until it's fully combined.  Add the nuts, grated chocolate, chocolate chips, stirring after each addition, but don't combine it fully until everything is in.  You don't want to over mix cookies or they will be tough.
Form into small or large balls and bake on a cookie sheet at 375F for about 10 minutes.  If you under bake them slightly they'll be soft and chewy.

Enjoy!