Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was practically forced into making these cookies. Maybe 'forced' is too strong a word. It was my intention to make chocolate chip cookies but my whisk was aimed at a Levian recipe. With only one stick of butter left (straight jacket time in my kitchen) I had no choice but to look elsewhere. I'm not the best search engine user. Trying to find recipes that call for only 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter was not easy. Finally, like a beacon on a turbulent ocean of frustration, I found the Neiman Marcus recipe!

Why do I bake so many chocolate chip cookies all the time? Because it's the one thing that I know everyone will enjoy. When I ask my friends what they want me to make, their response is usually something like "I don't know. Do something easy." To my food blogger's ear, that translates too "Anything that we won't have to sit around and wait for you to pose for pictures before we can touch and/or look at." Making chocolate chip cookies so frequently also allows me to try all the different recipes that are floating around on the Internet. I had actually planned on making these a long time ago but they were pushed aside by the new generation of c.c.cookies like Jacques Torres and Cook's Illustrated. These were a welcome return to the simple, classic, humble chocolate chip cookie. No frills or fads, just a fabulous chewy cookie that begs to be eaten straight out of the oven.

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from Neiman Marcus)
*printer friendly Recipe*

Ingredients
•1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
•1 cup light brown sugar
•3 tablespoons granulated sugar
•1 large egg
•2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used 1 teaspoon of pure almond extract instead)
•1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
•1/2 teaspoon baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon baking soda
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
•1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used bittersweet)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds)

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

3. In a 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. I did refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes (force of habit.)

4. Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges (mine were perfect after only 15 min.) Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies ( Since I made mine larger, I was only able to make about 18.)