is this story true?

Question

and do you think its a good recipe?

A little background: Neiman-Marcus, if you don't know already, is a very expensive store; i.e., they sell your typical $8.00 T-shirt for $50.00.Let's let them have it!

THIS IS A TRUE STORY!

My daughter and I had just finished a salad at a Neiman-Marcus Cafe C in Dallas, and we 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, but you can buy the recipe."

Well, I asked how much, and she responded, "Only two fifty-it's a great deal!" I agreed to that, and told her to just add it to my tab. Thirty days later, I received my VISA statement, and the Neiman-Marcus charge 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 was outrageous!

I called Neiman's Accounting Department and told them the waitress said it was "two fifty", which clearly does not mean "two hundred and fifty dollars" by any reasonable interpretation of the phrase. Neiman-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 the Accounting Department lady the criminal statutes which govern fraud in the state of Texas. I threatened to report them to the Better Business Bureau and the Texas Attorney General's office for engaging in fraud. I was basically told, "Do what you want. Don't bother thinking of how you can get even, and don't bother trying to get any of your money back."

I just said, Okay, you folks got my $250, and now I'm going to have $250 worth of fun." I told her that I was going to see to i t that every cookie lover in the United States with an e-mail account has a $250 cookie recipe from Neiman-Marcus...for free. She replied, "I wish you wouldn't do this."

I said, "Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before you ripped me off!" and slammed down the phone. So here it is!

Please, please, please pass it on to everyone you can possibly think of. I paid $250 for this, and I don't want Neiman-Marcus to EVER make another penny off of this recipe!





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 8oz. Hershey Bar (grated)

5 cups blended oatmeal

4 eggs

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups 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.

PLEASE READ THE RECIPE AND SEND IT TO EVERY PERSON YOU KNOW WHO HAS AN E-MAIL ADDRESS! THIS IS REALLY TERRIFIC! Even if the people on your e-mail list don't eat sweets send it to them and ask them to pass it on. Let's make sure we get this ladies $250.00 worth. Enjoy the cookies, they are good...

Answer 1

HOAX in capital letters!

Answer 2

It is not true.

What
we have here is a golden oldie of an urban legend, one second in tenacity only to Craig Shergold's request for business cards. It's the ultimate "strike a blow for the little guy," and in that lies its appeal. That by forwarding it on, we can be armchair heroes.

Though its present incarnation casts Neiman-Marcus as the bad guy, this legend has been around for at least 50 years, and it's been told of various companies (and various confections) during its long history. Here's a fine example from a 1948 cookbook, Massachusetts Cooking Rules, Old and New, which lists not only the recipe for "$25 Fudge Cake" but also gives the following explanation for the name:

This friend had to pay $25 upon the receipt of the recipe from the chef of one of the railroads. She had asked for the recipe while eating on a train. The chef gladly sent it to her, together with a bill for $25, which her attorney said she had to pay. She then gave the recipe to all her friends, hoping they would get some pleasure from it.

Sound disturbingly familiar?

Especially in their particular case, the legend is even more improbable than usual in that:

* Until quite recently there was no such thing as a "Neiman-Marcus" cookie. They developed a chocolate chip cookie in response to the rumor.

* There is no "Neiman Marcus Cafe" at any of the chain's three Dallas-area stores. Instead, the restaurants are named Zodiac, Zodiac at North Park, and The Woods.

* Neiman Marcus does not sell recipes from its restaurants. The department store gives them away for free to anyone who asks.

Answer 3

It is not true... In fact there was no such thing as a "Neiman-Marcus" cookie. They developed a chocolate chip cookie in response to the rumor.

There is no "Neiman Marcus Cafe" at any of the chain's three Dallas-area stores. Instead, the restaurants are named Zodiac, Zodiac at North Park, and The Woods.

Neiman Marcus does not sell recipes from its restaurants. The department store gives them away for free to anyone who asks.
(Check out the Neiman Marcus web page for a bit about this piece of lore and their newly-developed chocolate chip cookie recipe.)

Cheers!

Answer 4

Dear god,

Neiman Marcus is one of my favorite stores to shop, and I have been eating these cookies since I was a little boy.
My mother made them with the Neiman Marcus recipe.

Sincerely,
Dash

Answer 5

Can you say "urban legend"? The email does get around (even though I haven't seen it lately), but after about the fifth or sixth time, it's pretty obvious Neiman Marcus isn't THAT screwed up!

Answer 6

You know what?

I doubt you are the first person this so-called scam has happened to, if it did. AND that means the recipe has already made its way out into the Internet because someone else would have had the same thought you did. Unless you think you are THAT original.

Hope you enjoy the cookies.

Actually it is an urban myth.

TFTP

Answer 7

I can't believe it. I'm outraged. I'm incensed. Don't worry honey after this you can bet those cookies will show up at every bake sale, cookie drive and flea market. That is outrageous. With the recipe neatly printed and attached. let's get 'em

Answer 8

Thanks for the recipe .Me and my daugther are cookies crazy and we are going to enjoy them ever soooo much.
But this recipe is already in the NET Imagine where?
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/service/nm_cookie_recipe.jhtml

Answer 9

could be true coming from them but then again I will try to recipe and see where it goes since i work for a large company who is head strong on customer service i will pass it on at work... thanks

Answer 10

well, this story has been around for over twenty years, I really doubt it is true
I have made these cookies and they are wonderful

Answer 11

Um, I think it is an urban legend, but i'm gonna try them anyway.