Recipe Share: Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is one recipe to share, the story on why it's making online rounds for almost a decade now be true or not. For those who are not familiar with the story behind Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip cookies, read here:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/fooddrink/a/cookie_recipe.htm

I'm one of those curious kitty that just had to try the recipe and taste it for myself. I got this email several years back but got to try this only last week with the new oven. I tweaked the recipe a little, replaced Hershey's with coarsely chopped M&Ms and used Meiji black (coarsely chopped again, I just love texture in cookies) for the chocolate chips.

can you see the M&Ms peeking? 

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 c ups chopped nuts (your choice)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. 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

This recipe really yields a LOT! I halved the recipe and still made around 5 1/2 dozens. I would have made more if we (with my assistant named Sophia) made smaller balls. The secret really is to use fine oatmeal, premium chocolates and bake the cookies for only 10 minutes or less, depends on how your oven works. Me, by 7 or 8 minutes I turn off the oven and let it sit in the oven for a minute before taking it out. Once cooled, the cookies will have soft centers but we love to eat it while they're warm, so chewy and chocolate still melted. This is a must try recipe!