The chocolate chip cookie has been around for 84 years. America’s most popular cookie has a fascinating history. Invented by Ruth Graves Wakefield, proprietor of the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts. Ruth was well regarded for her colonial recipes that she baked, cooked and served to her guests at the Inn.
One day, she created a new cookie by adding a Nestlé chocolate candy bar, broken into small pieces, into her butter cookie batter. Once the cookies were baked, she was surprised to see that the chocolate did not melt and instead held its shape. The creamy and soft texture of the chocolate bits were a delightful addition to her popular butter cookie.
These cookies became a favorite with the Inn’s guests. Soon after her recipe was published in several area newspapers, and the Nestlé company saw sales of its Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar dramatically increase. Ruth and the management at Nestlé reached an agreement that allowed the cookie company to print the “Toll House Cookie” recipe on the back of its chocolate candy bar packaging. As part of the contract, Ruth was supplied with all the chocolate she could use for the remainder of her life.
A clever marketing idea by Nestlé to promote the cookie recipe and chocolate bar, the company began scoring the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar, and even provided a special chopper for ease in cutting the bar into smaller morsels. A few years later, Nestlé created a new product, the “Nestlé Toll House Real Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels”, which product is still used by cooks and bakers today.
Ruth went on to author a series of cookbooks including “Ruth Wakefield’s Recipes: Tried and True”, produced with 39 printed editions. The Toll House Inn was sold in 1966 and in 1984 the Inn was demolished in a fire started in the kitchen. Ruth died in 1977.
My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe has nearly the same ingredients as Ruth’s original. However, I have changed the quantities of a few items and added an extra sweetness from honey. This cookie recipe also uses a bit of almond extract to provide a bold nutty flavor. These are soft and slightly chewy cookies that I hope you’ll try. Send along your comments and let me know how you liked this recipe.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed firmly
- 12 Tablespoon butter softened at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, place the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk ingredients together. Set aside.
- In a standing or a large mixing bowl, place the brown sugar, softened butter, granulated white sugar, and honey. Using the beaters of the mixer, beat on high speed until ingredients are well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the egg, egg yolk, and almond extract.
- Mix again until well combined, pausing the mixer to scrape down and around the sides of the bowl.
- Carefully add in the flour mixture with a spatula. Stir to incorporate. Then, with the mixer on low speed, mix until combined.
- Add in the chocolate chips and stir to incorporate.
- Combine the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, or overnight.
- When ready to bake, position the oven racks inthe top third and center of the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. degrees.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll the dough into balls and place dough about three inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 9 minutes. Then, rotate the positions of the sheets from top to bottom and front to back. Continue baking for another 9 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned on the edges. (Total 18-20 minutes.)
- Transfer to a wire rack. Cool cookies completely.
- Continue this process until all dough has been used.
- Store in sealed container or freeze for future use.
Notes
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