These oatmeal cookies are loaded with chocolate chips, pecans, and optional raisins. The urban legend holds that it is the recipe from the famous Mrs. Field's cookie chain, but this is not the case. The legend is similar to the Nieman Marcus cookie urban legend. The recipe makes a lot of cookies, so you may wish to cut it in half.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 cups flour
- 5 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (measure first and then blend to a powder in food processor)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 cups butter at room temperature (do not melt the butter beforehand)
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 12 ounces chocolate chips
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bar, grated
- 3 cups chopped pecans or other nuts
- 1 cup raisins, soaked in hot tap water for 15 minutes, drained and patted dry (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking liners or parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oatmeal powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until fluffy.
Add flour mixture, 1/4 at a time, blending until combined.
Fold in chocolate chips, grated chocolate, pecans, and raisins, if using.
Scoop out balls of dough about the diameter of a golf ball. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Yield: about 112 cookies
Peggy's Notes:
This recipe makes a lot of cookies. I usually make half a recipe.
This recipe made the rounds in my office in the early 70s with no attribution. I have no clue about its origin, but has become a mainstream standard. It is an urban legend similar to the Neiman Marcus cookie. Mrs. Fields' spokesperson has denied this emphatically, saying they have never sold their recipe to any individual. However, this recipe actually makes good cookies very similar to the soft, chewy ones sold at her stores. As you can tell from the ingredients, they are far from heart-healthy, but they sure are good. Here is how the legend (I repeat...legend...) goes:
A woman who works with the American Bar Association called Mrs. Fields Cookies and asked for the recipe. She assumed it was a $2.50 fee, and she charged it to her credit card. It was not $2.50 but $250.00. In order to get her money's worth, she shared the recipe with everyone.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oatmeal powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until fluffy.
Add flour mixture, 1/4 at a time, blending until combined.
Fold in chocolate chips, grated chocolate, pecans, and raisins, if using.
Scoop out balls of dough about the diameter of a golf ball. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Yield: about 112 cookies
Peggy's Notes:
This recipe makes a lot of cookies. I usually make half a recipe.
This recipe made the rounds in my office in the early 70s with no attribution. I have no clue about its origin, but has become a mainstream standard. It is an urban legend similar to the Neiman Marcus cookie. Mrs. Fields' spokesperson has denied this emphatically, saying they have never sold their recipe to any individual. However, this recipe actually makes good cookies very similar to the soft, chewy ones sold at her stores. As you can tell from the ingredients, they are far from heart-healthy, but they sure are good. Here is how the legend (I repeat...legend...) goes:
A woman who works with the American Bar Association called Mrs. Fields Cookies and asked for the recipe. She assumed it was a $2.50 fee, and she charged it to her credit card. It was not $2.50 but $250.00. In order to get her money's worth, she shared the recipe with everyone.
