I’ve made a few chocolate chip cookie recipes for Project Pastry Love. All are wonderful recipes, and all are unique in their own way. For instance, the Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie is smooth textured, with a slight caramel flavor. Tish Boyle’s Chocolate Chip Cookie is coarser textured with nuttier undertones. Ghiradelli’s Chocolate Chip Cookie is the quintessential chocolate chip cookie. The question is, how would I describe the Neiman Marcus $250 chocolate chip cookie recipe? I guess I would have to say, in one word, addicting. These cookies are like crack-cocaine. If “jazz hands” were in cookie form they would be the Neiman Marcus $250 chocolate chip cookie. They put a skip in your step. They make you feel euphoric for no reason. You’ll find yourself exclaiming “good morning world!” even on a Monday. They’re that good. I don’t know if it’s the proportion of butter, sugar, flour and eggs. I don’t know if it’s the added walnuts. I don’t even know if it’s the instant espresso powder that makes this chocolate chip cookie amazing. It’s just a damn good cookie. Also, it’s the instant espresso powder.
So, there is an urban myth that this recipe cost a woman $250. You can read about that here. What you should know is that this cookie is a basic creaming-method cookie. And compared to other chocolate chip cookie recipes it has one less stick of butter, and one less egg. Therefore, it doesn’t spread as much, and it is crunchier on the outside while very tender on the inside. And finally, the chocolate flavor is more pronounced with the help of the instant espresso powder. It’s so good, and in my opinion, if the urban legend were true, it is worth every dollar.
- ½ cup (one stick or 113 g) Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) Light Brown Sugar
- 3 TBS Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 tsp.Vanilla Extract
- 1 ¾ cups (219 g) All-Purpose Flour
- ½ tsp. Baking Soda
- ½ tsp. Baking Powder
- ½ tsp. Salt
- 1 ½ tsp. Instant Espresso Coffee Powder
- 1 ½ cups (227 g) Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 cup (97 g) Walnuts, chopped (optional but should be mandatory)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a bowl connected to a standing mixer and fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugars, and beat until lighter in color and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Mix in the egg, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt), and mix just until combined. Remove bowl from mixer, and with a wooden spoon mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out about two tablespoons-worth of dough. Roll into balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. The cookies are ready when they are golden brown around the edges. Cool on wire rack.
- Standing mixer with paddle attachment
- Cookie scoop
- Wooden spoon
- Parchment paper
- Two baking sheets
