The Tale of the Toll House Cookie

If you're like many American children, your memories of childhood probably involve at least one batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. There is nothing like liking the tasty batter from the spoon after grandma mixes in the final ingredients. Today, there are many manufacturers of chocolate chips. You can find them all in the baking aisle of the grocery store. Probably the most well-known, however, is Nestle Toll House. Even the bag (of the semi-sweet chocolate chips) claims that theirs is "America's favorite cookie recipe."

Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

2 sticks butter (softened)

3/4 c. granulated sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 c. (12 oz. package) Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter, both sugars and vanilla extract until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if desired) by hand. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 5 dozen cookies.

The pan cookie variation is for moms like me who just want to get the whole batch in the oven as quickly as possible. Instead of making individual cookies, take the entire batch of dough and spread into a greased 15 x 10 inch jelly-roll pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

It may be hard to believe, but this cupboard staple has only been around about 70 years. The chocolate chip cookie came about as the result of a mistake! The legend is that Mrs. Ruth Wakefield loved to make desserts for the travelers staying at her Toll House Inn, near Boston, Massachusetts. One day, she had run out of baker's chocolate for one of her batches of cookies. Substituting small bites of a semi-sweet chocolate bar from Andrew Nestle, Mrs. Wakefield expected that the chocolate would melt through the cookies. Instead, the cookies came out, studded with these "chocolate chips." They were so popular, that they quickly became known as the Toll House Cookies.

One thing led to another, and the Nestle company started producing chocolate chips. Mrs. Wakefield's recipe was printed on the packages of the little morsels. And the rest is history....

Of all the varieties of cookies, chocolate chip is the best-selling in the United States. The Nestle company has made a fortune from Mrs. Wakefield's mistake. Today, you can buy pre-made cookie dough, either slice and bake, or - even simpler - break apart into little cookie chunks (delicious baked or not!) The New York Times has listed Nestle as one of the 100 most powerful brands in America.

Chocolate chips are not Nestle Toll House's only product. You can find butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips. More delicious recipes on the back of all of these bags. There is also Toll House ice cream. And, for those who don't want to do their own baking, you can stop by one of the Nestle Toll House franchise stores. Obviously, they're giving Mrs. Fields a run for her money!

As with any dessert recipe, people have varied and tried to improve on the original Toll House chocolate chip cookie. You can make them with or without nuts (pecans are my favorite, but mom makes hers with walnuts). Some kids enjoy replacing the chocolate chips with M&Ms (but of course, they would not be Toll House cookies any longer).

Baked cookies can be crumbled on top of ice cream and doused in chocolate syrup. Or, the reverse: You can make a "brownie" sundae with the bar cookie recipe. Simply put 1-2 bars in a bowl, and top with ice cream, whipped cream and whatever else you desire. Children love playing with food, so a big hit is to take 2 chocolate chip cookies and make an ice cream sandwich with softened ice cream. Spread the ice cream on one cookie and top with the second. If desired, roll the edges in sprinkles. Wrap in plastic wrap and re-freeze about 20-30 minutes. A perfect summertime treat!

When it comes to baking, you haven't lived until you've made homemade chocolate chip cookies and enjoyed them straight, warm and gooey from the oven. Pour a nice glass of milk and relive one of life's greatest pleasures.