The History of Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
The Toll House brand of chocolate chip cookies was invented by Ruth Wakefield. Together, Ruth and her husband bought a tourist lodge named the Toll House Inn. She prepared the recipes for the meals served to the guests at the Inn. One of her favorite recipes was for Butter Drop Do cookies. The recipe called for baker's chocolate. One day, Ruth discovered that she didn't have the baker's chocolate, so she substituted a Nestle semi-sweet chocolate bar cut up into bits for it. The chopped up chocolate bar did not melt completely, which created the first Toll House chocolate chip cookie ever. As the cookie sales went up, so did the chocolate bar sales. Andrew Nestle and Ruth Wakefield made a deal that if Nestle would print the Toll House Cookie recipe on its packaging, then Ruth Wakefield would have a lifetime supply of Nestle chocolate. The recipe was later published in a Boston newspaper. Ruth Wakefield created this "delicious mistake" in 1930. Today, the chocolate chip cookie is the most popular choice of cookie in America.
Mrs. Wakefield’s Original Toll House Cookie Recipe:
Mrs. Wakefield’s Original Toll House Cookie Recipe:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- 1 cup chopped nuts