TOLL HOUSE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies image

In the 1930s, Ruth Wakefield, the inventor of the chocolate chip cookie, ran the Toll House Inn, a popular restaurant in eastern Massachusetts, with her husband. Using an ice pick, Wakefield broke a semisweet chocolate bar into little bits, mixed them into brown-sugar dough, and the chocolate chip cookie was born. In 1939, she sold Nestlé the rights to reproduce her recipe on its packages (reportedly for only $1) and was hired to write recipes for the company, which supposedly supplied her with free chocolate for life. This recipe is very close to Mrs. Wakefield's original (hers called for a teaspoon of hot water and 1/2-teaspoon-sized cookies), and the one you'll still find on the back of every yellow bag of Nestlé chocolate chips.

Provided by The New York Times

Time 30m

Yield 5 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups/12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Steps:

Heat oven to 375. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl 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 using. 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.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 94, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 12 grams, Fat 5 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 1 gram, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 49 milligrams, Sugar 8 grams, TransFat 0 grams