Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Created by the owner of the Toll House Inn Ruth Wakefield, the original recipe for these cookies was first published in her 1938 cookbook 'Toll House Tried and True Recipes.' George Boucher who was the head chef at the Toll House Inn at one time also claims to have created the chocolate chip cookie. Either way, the original chocolate chip cookie was made from a butter cookie base recipe with broken up pieces of...you guessed it...bars of Nestle semi-sweet chocolate. Nestle quickly picked up on the popularity of the Toll House brand and in 1939 came out with the first chocolate 'morsels' that we all affectionately call chocolate chips. Through pure marketing genius, Nestle slapped the 'Toll House' label on the package and made a ton of money selling these to home makers all over the United States. Kudos to them, because using morsels to make chocolate chip cookies is far easier than breaking up semi-sweet chocolate bars.

The Recipe

Now, just between you and me, I don't really care whether Mrs. Wakefield or Mr. Boucher first created the chocolate chip cookie sold at the Toll House. In fact, I sure there have been numerous bakers who added chocolate to their cookies which never garnered them fame or fortune. In the end, Nestle was the real financial winner here. The chocolate chip cookie is truly an All-American cookie and it's probably the most well loved cookie made, I know it is my favorite. So in honor of the Toll House Inn, I bring you the world's most copied and imitated cookie recipe 'The Toll House Chocolate Cookie.'

Toll House Cookie

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate broken in pieces or chocolate morsels

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 cup chopped nuts

¾ cup packed brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Add butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the butter and sugar are creamed and fully combined. Then add the vanilla extract and the egg and and mix until well combined.

In a small mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add to the mixer slowly while mixing at slow speed. Mix until all of the flour is incorporated into the butter and sugar mixture. Then add in the chocolate chips and nuts and mix for 15 seconds longer.

Using a number '50' scoop (4 teaspoons), or using a 2 tablespoon measure, drop the cookie dough onto the cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the cookie dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into 2-inch circles (I do not make mine this flat, but feel free to do so, I simply leave mine as the scoop makes them). Transfer to the oven in batches and bake at 375 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes or until the cookies are nicely browned around the edges. Bake for a little longer for crispier cookies.

Variations On A Theme

There are a ton of variations you can make using the Toll House cookie recipe as a base for other cookies. My two favorites are the chocolate peanut butter chip and macadamia nut. I have listed some of the more popular variations of this recipe that you might have seen in grocery store bakeries and in coffee shops for you and your family to try.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip – Add ½ cup cocoa powder and cream with butter and sugar.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip – Substitute 1 cup peanut butter and 1 cup milk chocolate chips for the 2 cups of semi-sweet morsels.

Espresso Chocolate Chip – Add 3 teaspoons of espresso powder (See Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe).

Reese's Cookies – Substitute Reese's pieces for the semi-sweet chocolate morsels.

Mars M&M Cookies – Substitute Mars M&M's for the semi-sweet chocolate morsels.

Macadamia Nut Cookies – Substitute white chocolate morsels for the semi-sweet chocolate morsels, and use macadamia nuts.

Conclusion

The recipe for Toll House cookies have around since the 1930's and I think they are the gold standard of chocolate chip cookies. In fact, the 'Toll House' chocolate chip cookie is so popular that even most of the off brand chocolate morsels have a recipe for the chocolate chip cookie. As I mentioned earlier, many things can be substituted for the chocolate chips, Reese's Pieces, M&M's, butterscotch or peanut butter morsels or a combination of any or all of the above.

The great thing about this recipe is that you should have all the ingredients in your 'minimalist' pantry to make these. Everything that is except the chocolate chips, so when you and your family want something sweet, these cookies are sure to please everyone. I hope that you and your family will enjoy making and eating these cookies. And as always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.



Additional Articles On Our Blog:

Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies, The $250 Neiman Marcus Cookie.