They’re America’s favorite cookie. Chocolate Chip Cookies or Toll House Cookies as some will call them have been popular ever since 1930 when Ruth Wakefield ran out of nuts for her Butter Drop-Do cookies and substituted a chopped bar of Nestle’s semisweet chocolate in the dough. She called them “Chocolate Crispies” (or Chocolate Crunch Cookies according to some versions of the story) and their success is legendary. Her Toll House Inn became famous for them and, ultimately in 1939, her recipe ended up on the package of Nestle’s chocolate morsels.
Ruth Wakefield’s original cookie recipe.
Ruth Wakefield’s Original Toll House Cookie Recipe
Total Time: 45 minutes
Hands-On Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2 to 3 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, plus more for baking sheets
- 3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved into 1 teaspoon hot water
- 2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
- 12 ounces (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375°.
Cream the butter and sugars. Add the beaten eggs. Add the baking soda dissolved in hot water.
Sift together the flour and salt and add to the butter mixture. Then stir in the nuts, chocolate chips, and vanilla.
Chill the dough [Editors’ note: We usually skip this step].
Drop by the tablespoonful onto lightly greased cookie sheets and bake until browned at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes.
Notes
Allow cookie sheets to cool before using for remaining batches. *Do not use table salt as it contains additives. Kosher salt is acceptable but not as good as Maldon.
Chilling dough allows the flavors to develop and the fat in the dough to solidify. This makes for cookies that do not spread out, thus "fluffy" cookies.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups White Lily, Gold Medal or King Arthur all-purpose flour (unbleached)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (not margarine), softened
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 large room temperature eggs
- 2- 2 1/2 cups chocolate morsels (I use a combination of semi-sweet and dark--mostly dark.)
- 2 cups chopped toasted pecans or walnuts (or more)
- Maldon sea salt flakes, optional
Instructions
- In a large sieve, sift together flour, baking soda and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy.
- Add sugars and vanilla bean paste, creaming until light and fluffy. (important step)
- Add eggs one at a time, creaming well after each addition.
- Gradually mix in flour mixture in 3 parcels, creaming well after each one.
- Mix in morsels and nuts.
- Chill dough for a minimum of 10-15 minutes for best results, preferably overnight --up to 3-4 days)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. I use a convection oven set to 350 degrees.
- Line cookies sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough using a small cookie scoop, about 12-15 per sheet depending upon the size of your cookie sheets.
- Sprinkle a small amount of sea salt on each cookie--doesn't take much.*
- Bake for 8 minutes until just brown (10 minutes tops). (We like soft cookies.).
- Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
