Who Invented Chocolate Chip Cookies? History, Recipes, and Activities!

Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Imagine a world, where the only thing in your cookie was nuts. If it had not been for Ruth Graves Wakefield, that's exactly how it would be! Born in 1903 in East Walpole, Massachusetts Ruth Graves (Wakefield) grew up loving to cook. In 1924, after graduating from Framingham State Normal School (now called Framingham State College) she started working as a dietician and food lecturer.

Ruth then married Kenneth Donald Wakefield, and together they bought a house in Whitman, Massachusetts which they made into a cozy inn and restaurant. The house was located on a toll road, so they called it Toll House Inn. The inn eventually became a popular place to eat. In the late 1930s (there's some speculation about the actual year!), Ruth created the famous chocolate chip cookie recipe, which she called Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookies. She used Nestles semi-sweet chocolate bars, chopped them into pieces and added it to the cookie dough. These became a favorite of the guests.

There are stories stating that Ruth created chocolate chip cookies by accident, but these stories do not seem to be true. During an interview in the 1970s Ruth told she created the recipe because she wanted to offer the guest something different. Either way, the cookie recipe became so popular that Nestle purchased the right to print the recipe on their packaging. This of course made the recipe even more famous! Some stories say she gave the rights in exchange for a lifetime supply of semi-sweet chocolate, but others say she sold the rights for $1.

Even though there are many conflicting stories on the internet about how the chocolate chip cookie was created, I think we can all agree, that Ruth Graves Wakefield created a recipe that was a hit!

The following recipe is from Nestle.com

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 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 (if omitting, add 1-2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour)

Step 1 Preheat oven to 375° F.

Step 2 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.

Step 3 Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

This next recipe is the original recipe by Ruth Graves Wakefield

Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. baking soda dissolved in 1 tsp. hot water
2 cups flour sifted with 1 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla
2 bars (7 oz.) Nestle’s yellow label chocolate, semi-sweet, cut into pieces the size of a pea

Cream together the butter, brown and granulated sugar, eggs and baking soda. Mix in the flour and salt, then add the nuts. Add vanilla to flavor.Drop the dough in ½ teaspoons on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Makes 100 cookies.

Here are some links to some books, videos and activities you may enjoy!

You can find Ruth's cookbook, including the Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookie recipe on Amazon, or eBay. It's called Toll House Tried and True Recipes by Ruth Graves Wakefield. There's also a free PDF version that can be found online.