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May 15 is National Chocolate Chip Day!

Chocolate chips are a crucial ingredient in many deserts and baked goods, such as, chocolate chip muffins, chocolate chip brownies, mint chocolate chip ice-cream, and chocolate chip bagels. However, chocolate chip cookies are arguably the most popular way to use them.

According to women-inventors.com, the original chocolate chip cookie was created by Ruth Graves Wakefield in Whitman, Massachusetts at her Toll House Inn in the 1930’s. It is said that one day when she was baking chocolate cookies she ran out of baker’s chocolate, so she substituted with chopped up semi-sweet morsels. After baking she discovered that the pieces did not melt as was expected, but she served the cookies any way and they were an instant hit.

Ruth originally called her accidental creations “Toll House Crunch Cookies.” Locally they became enormously popular and her recipe was published in a Boston newspaper. As the popularity of her cookies grew, Nestle’s semi-sweet chocolate bars sales also increased. Later the owners of Nestle and Ruth would make an arrangement. Nestle would be able to print the Toll House Cookie recipe on their packaging, and Ruth would get a lifetime supply of Nestle Chocolate.

Nestle originally sold the chocolate as a bar with a small chopping tool. It wasn’t until the 1940’s that they started selling it in morsel (or “chip”) form. The chocolate chip cookie has since become one of the most popular cookies in the United States, with an estimated 25% of all cookies baked being chocolate chip.

To celebrate National Chocolate Chip Day, we have included the Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
• PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.
• SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION: Prepare dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies. * May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.
• FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.

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