December 4, 2025

Neiman Marcus Cookies

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Neiman Marcus Cookies

December 4: National Cookie Day

It is very rare that we eat at fancy-shmancy places like Mariposa, an upscale café in Neiman Marcus department stores for the rich to rest after a shopping spree. Islander earned a gift card for a freelance project she did with a well-off generous friend, so we spent it at Mariposa in the Galleria mall in Houston, Texas. The other time was when Islander’s former boss treated her to an appreciation lunch at Mariposa in Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

We have heard of the urban legend associated with the cookies (debunked on Snopes.com). Yet she was excited when her boss ordered them for dessert after such a luxurious lunch. We were too full to eat all the cookies in the presentation box but her boss let her take home the rest so Highlander could taste them, too. 

The cookies are just another delicious chocolate chip version—made exotic with the story behind them and a marketing strategy genius. We made and shared them with family and friends who enjoyed the cookies as well as the legend. Box them up really pretty and give them away on National Cookie Day or as holiday treats with a tale!

Recipe
(Adapted from Neiman Marcus)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla 
  • 1 3/4 cups flour, all purpose
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
  • 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown and white sugars, egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and beat until well blended. Sprinkle the espresso powder and continue to mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop around 2 tablespoons of dough onto a parchment paper- or greased foil-lined baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. 

Press down to flatten slightly with the base of the hand. Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Stack between small cut squares of wax or parchment paper to prevent the chocolate chips from sticking to the other cookie. Store in airtight containers. 

Notes

  • Islander kept the black box embossed with the Neiman Marcus logo for the final food photo above. It held four cookies from the Mariposa restaurant—and the price was still probably more than enough to cover the entire ingredient list to make these cookies at home. Her other baking friend calls these Neiman MarkUP cookies! 
  • For another rich cookie inspired by a luxury brand, try our Tiffany blue macarons.

 

December 4, 2024

Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies

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Coconut Macadamia Nut Cookies

December 4: National Cookie Day

Before our sudden move back to Hawaii, we had to get rid of a lot of ingredients in our pantry (we donated them all to Islander’s culinary club friends). Like a good island girl, she already had the tropical staples she needed to bake her last cookie in our mainland kitchen. She packaged the chewy coconut macadamia nut cookies and gave the treats away and said a sad aloha to her friends. These cookies are chewy and sweet; her farewells were bittersweet. But like the lyrics in the song “Aloha ‘Oe’,” composed by the deposed Queen Lili’uokalani in 1878, they end on a positive note:

Aloha ‘oe, aloha ‘oe…
One fond embrace…
Until we meet again.

We have slowly settled down in our new and much smaller kitchen in Hawaii. But mainland and international friends already want to meet again and visit, reunite and cook together like we used to do in each other’s kitchens. Perhaps they can bake this recipe and take some as snacks on the long flight back to the mainland or home countries. Make memories with alohaand lovingly bake up some coconut macadamia nut cookies together, especially on National Cookie Day.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut flakes, toasted
  • ½ cup butter, unsalted and softened
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ¼ cup flour, all purpose
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt]
  • 1 cup macadamia nuts, roasted and chopped

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with brown sugar. Beat in the egg. Add the coconut and vanilla extracts. 

In a small pan, toast the coconut flakes over medium low heat until slightly brown. Remove from heat and cool. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to wet ingredients. Stir in the coconut and macadamia nuts (by hand). Mix well until a dough comes together. 

Scoop 1-inch balls and roll into rounds. Place onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until the edges are browned. Remove from the oven and let set for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • Mahalo (thank you) to the B. ‘Ohana in Hawaii for sharing a version of this cookie recipe which we tweaked to make use of the last pantry items in our mainland home.
  • We moved back to Oahu to be closer to Islander’s elderly parents. It is important to take care of kūpuna.
  • Search our blog for other cookie recipes.
 

December 4, 2023

Benne Wafers

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Benne Wafers

(Central African Republic

Sesame Cookies)

December 4: National Cookie Day

As we continue to “cook our way through the calendar and cultures with eclectic and ethnic recipes”, we asked Islander’s high school friend for some easy recipe ideas. Heidi S., who served several years as a Christian missionary in Africa until dangerous wars forced her back to America, told us about some stews, snacks and sweets that she ate. Of the latter, Heidi said chewy sesame cookies were something she ate while serving in Bangui, Central African Republic.

“Benne” (pronounced “benny”) is the Bantu word for the plant that produces sesame seeds. Middle Easterners and Chinese have similar sesame cookies as well. This was possibly due to the trade routes connecting the cultures on the continent. Benne wafers made their way to the American South during the unfortunate African slave trade; we sampled some in soul food cafes while living in the Southwest as well.

Add some cultural history to a holiday cookie tray and make benne wafers, especially on National Cookie Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Heidi S.)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ – 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1 cup flour (all purpose)
  • 1 cup sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

Cream the butter with the brown sugar. Add the vanilla. Stir in the baking soda and salt.

Beat in the eggs. Gradually mix in the flour. Fold in the sesame seeds. Blend well.

Use a large scoop to drop cookie dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving about two inches to allow for spreading. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for around 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • The cookies will be soft out of the oven but will hold together when cooling.
  • Bake a little longer for a crisper cookie but be careful about burning the edges.
  • Search our blog for more cookie recipes.
 

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