The Original Toll House Cookies

Everyone I know loves chocolate chip cookies and everyone I know uses a different recipe to make them.  They all have one thing in common, semi-sweet chocolate chips. 



The original chocolate chip cookie was developed in the 1930's by Ruth Wakefield, the owner of the Toll House Inn.  She added a chopped up bar of Nestle's Semi-Sweet Chocolate to an old colonial recipe for Butter Drop Do cookies and the Toll House Cookie was born!



The recipe was printed in a Boston newspaper and became so popular that sales of Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate soared!   A brilliant marketing plan was hatched.  Nestle produced the little morsels we know as chocolate chips, printed the recipe for Toll House Cookies on the back of the bag and the CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE took over the world!  Well, maybe not the world but they became really popular!



I was raised on Toll House Cookies.  My mom made them all the time.  Actually, she made them when she could keep me from eating the chocolate chips straight out of the bag.  She would try to hide the bag of chocolate chips, I would find them and sneak out a few at a time...and a few more.. and a few more.......then there wouldn't be enough to make cookies and I'd polish off the rest.  


I know lots of you in the States will already know about Toll House Cookies.  You can click here to get the official Nestle's Toll House Cookie  recipe using American cup measurements.  For those of you who like to weigh your ingredients I've converted the recipe for you.  


8 ounces butter- slightly softened
6 ounces white sugar
6 ounces soft brown sugar
2 eggs
11 ounces plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 ounces chocolate chips



Beat together the butter, white, and brown sugar until light and creamy.   Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring until well combined. 

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, stirring well after each addition. 



Pour in the chocolate chips and stir to distribute them evenly through the batter.



Using a small scoop or tablespoon, drop the batter on to buttered baking sheets.



Bake for 9-11 minutes (or until golden brown) in a pre-heated oven,  375F/190C.   Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack or baking paper to cool completely. 



So that's how to make the traditional Toll House Cookie.  You could say Mrs. Wakefield started a second American Revolution with her colonial cookies filled with chocolate chunks.  This time, the British are on our side - they love her chocolate chip cookies, too!

Comments

  1. I am salivating - thank goodness for Mrs. Wakefield - where would we have been without her?!

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    1. Without Mrs. Wakefield we may not have chocolate chip cookies! It doesn't bear thinking about! *shudders*

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  2. Knowing your mom, I would venture a guess that she had her hand in that chocolate chip bag more than a time or two herself! Her two granddaughters are lovers of said cookies and I make them for my little family too! We both know your brother cannot resist anything sweet...e.v.e.r.

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    Replies
    1. I am afraid a Sweet Tooth is part of our genetic package. Still, it's lovely to think that you and the girls are keeping the family cookie eating tradition alive! Enjoy! : )X

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