Bulk Baking- 2nd Edition (Best ever cookie)

Come join us for the second edition of bulk baking.
If you haven't read the 1st edition, go here.

Since I have just finished polishing off the rest of the beauties on the tray below, I thought I would inspire myself to make some more before I leave for the Blissdom Conference on Thursday.

I am in the business of making new friends, and cherishing the old ones, this coming weekend. Since the competition is going to be a bit stiff, I think bribing girlfriends with a few of these babies may do just the trick. :) hee hee

Yes, that is how I am coming full circle to the bulk baking post which always saves our family LOTS of money....I need lots and lots of cookies, especially if I intend to leave any behind for the blessings.

(Does a good mom have to leave some cookies, or is it OK to hoard for special occasions?)

I guess if I can mix them in something like this, and I can, then I will have plenty to share. No excuses.

It's amazing to browse the cookie aisle and see how many choices we Americans have.
It's crazy... really.
And we wonder how we are raising a generation of children that have "entitlement" issues.
I mean, if I grew up "deserving" 300 varieties, I'd have issues too.
(Well, I do, just not cookie ones :)

So I am only going to give you two choices, and they are pretty similar...
in fact, the best ever!!!

Every one makes chocolate chip cookies...this is not a new phenomena, but are there any extra cookies ever left over? That's the key to this post.

The recipe I am giving you will make between 50-80 cookies.
If you've started any dieting resolutions, you may rethink your will power.

I usually bake up about 40 cookies, and then form the remaining 40 into cookie dough balls to freeze. I have a few cookie scoops which make the "perfect size."
I happen to have quite a few mini muffin tins, as well.
I scoop them into the tins for a flash freeze before I put them into the ziplocks.

Don't purchase a mini muffin tin just for this. A cookie tray works well also (but now you can be on the look out when you are thrifting...hint, hint).

Doing a quick freeze is important for freezer storage, otherwise your dough will stick together as it freezes. Once they dough has become slightly frozen, just pop them into the bag.
**Warning, frozen cookie dough is addicting, and rarely makes it back into the oven.
It's just too easy to pop those in my mouth - right from the freezer.
And don't even begin to warn me about salmonella - I've weighed the consequences...:)

I know that some of you are wondering if you can just stick the frozen dough straight into the oven with out thawing. You sure can, it works beautifully.
Just watch your baking time, it will vary a bit.
Quick tip: you know that toaster oven that is stuck in the very back of your cabinet;
the one that you got for your wedding and never use?
Pull that out...it is your new best friend.
Even with a family of seven, the toaster oven gets used daily.
It not only saves money on heating the oven, but is perfect when we want just a "snack." It's forced portion control.
We can easily pull out a few of the frozen dough and have fresh cookies in minutes (if we don't eat the frozen dough first).

And yes, even the muffin tins can substitute for cookie trays if you're running short.

Irony here? I can't find the pictures of my finished cookies. The regular looking ones...just imagine, or find me at Blissdom this weekend. You better make it early or they may be gone.


For years, I believed the urban myth that Neiman Marcus charged a customer $250 for this recipe.
If you haven't heard the story, google it, it's cute.
I have made this with slight variations and love it every time. I have even started adding a bit of instant decaf coffee powder and crave that new twist.
With all the oatmeal in this recipe, it "feels" so much healthier...so indulge - you have your fiber for the day.

THE FAMOUS NEIMAN MARCUS COOKIE RECIPE
(recipe may be halved):

2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal and blend in blender to a fine powder) *I have bypassed this at times
24 oz. chocolate chips
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.

Remember, you will need a BIG bowl.

Quite often I have omitted the Hershey bar with great result.

Now, in honor of the
Real Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe,
here it is:

* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
*1 cup light brown sugar
* 3 TBS granulated sugar
*1 large egg
* 2 tsp. vanilla extract
*1 -3/4 all purpose flour
* 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1 1/2 tsp instant espresso coffee powder
* 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet choc. chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cream the butter with the sugars.

2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.

3. In mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds.
Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.

4. Drop cookies onto greased cookies sheet about 3 inches apart.

Bake about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

I would seriously quadruple this recipe if you want to have any nice size amount left over.

posted at: Grocery Cart Challenge