Date: Tue, 22 Oct 1996 00:20:50 +1608
From: "Donald M. Lance" engdl[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]SHOWME.MISSOURI.EDU
Subject: Re: $250 cookie recipe.
This is an urban legend, and Jan Brunvand has collected lots of versions.
He has a section on it in CURSES! BROILED AGAIN: THE HOTTEST URBAN LEGENDS
GOING (Norton, 1989). The fact that this one is in the first person makes
it bogus -- gotta be a friend of a friend who had the experience. As it
turns out, Nieman Marcus doesn't make or sell cookies, Brunvand says. He
also says this story is probably a new version of the 1950s urban legend
about Red Velvet Cake at the Waldorf-Astoria.
A couple of friends of mine here in Columbia came across this recipe
several years ago (long story) and tried it. Experienced cookie-bakers and
tasters, they noticed immediately that the measurement of baking soda and
baking powder is wrong. It should be 2T, not 2t. [So, Ellen, there's more
miscommunication here than you were aware of.] The cookies are wonderful.
Becky and Ruth use Hershey's Baking Chocolate rather than a Hershey bar.
They also noticed that this is a double recipe, so they cut it in half.
Becky bakes them often, and I like them too much. The oatmeal flour gives
them a silky texture, and the grated chocolate folded into the dough makes
them, as Becky says, "chocolate chocolate-chip cookies," a chocoholic's
dream.
--------------------
I guess this is not too relevant here, but it DOES deal with a case
of miscommunication. And anyone who bakes might appreciate it.
Hope it's not illegal. Ellen
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Subject: $250 cookie recipe.
Author: Ellen.Johnson[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]INETGW.WKU.EDU at INETGW
Date: 10/21/96 2:46 PM
_______________________ Forward Header _______________________
Subject: $250 cookie recipe.
Author: JLLOTT[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MSUVX1.MEMPHIS.EDU at INETGW
Date: 10/18/96 1:11 PM
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This is a true story that was forwarded to me. Read it and learn.
Bake the cookies and enjoy them and then forward this to all you know!
My daughter & I had just finished a salad at Neiman-Marcus Cafe
in Dallas & decided to have a small dessert. Because both of us are such
cookie lovers, we decided to try the "Neiman-Marcus Cookie". It was so
excellent that I asked if they would give me the recipe and the waitress
said with a small frown, "I'm afraid not." Well, I said, would you let me
buy the recipe? With a cute smile, she said, "Yes." I asked how much,
and she responded, "Only two fifty, it's a great deal!" I said with
approval, just add it to my tab. Thirty days later, I received my VISA
statement from Neiman-Marcus and it was $285.00. I looked again and I
remembered I had only spent $9.95 for two salads and about $20.00 for a
scarf. As I glanced at the bottom of the statement, it said, "Cookie
Recipe - $250.00." That's outrageous!! I called Neiman's Accounting Dept.
and told them the waitress said it was "two-fifty," which clearly does
not mean "two hundred and fifty dollars" by any *POSSIBLE* interpretation
of the phrase. Nieman-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 money at this point." I explained to her the criminal
statutes which govern fraud in Texas, I threatened to refer them to the
Better Business Bureau and the State's Attorney General for engaging in
fraud. I was basically told, "Do what you want, we don't give a crap,
and we're not refunding your money." I waited, thinking of how I could
get even, or even try and get any of my money back. I just said, "Okay,
you folks got my $250, and now I'm going to have $250.00 worth of fun."
I told her that I was going to see to it that every cookie lover in the
United States with an e-mail account has a $250.00 cookie recipe from
Neiman-Marcus... for free. She replied, "I wish you wouldn't do this." I
said, "Well, you should have thought of that before you ripped me off,
and slammed down the phone on her.
So, here it is!!! Please, please, please pass it on to everyone you can
possibly think of. I paid $250 dollars for this... I don't
want Nieman-Marcus to *ever* get another penny off of this recipe....
(Recipe may be halved.):
2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
2 cups sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal**
** Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder
24 oz. chocolate chips
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
2 tsp. vanilla
Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together
with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips,
Hershey Bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a
cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies.
Have fun!!! This is *not* a joke --- this is a true story.. Ride free,
citizen!
Wanda Vasey
enjoy!
-j