America’s favorite cookie
Ruth Graves Wakefield, the proprietor and chef of the old Toll House Inn in Massachusetts, created and published the first-ever recipe for chocolate chip cookies in her cookbook in 1938.
American soldiers stationed overseas during WWII helped popularize the cookies, and ultimately, Wakefield gave her Toll House recipe to Nestle in exchange for a lifetime supply of chocolate.
Since then, there are countless riffs on the original recipe. Some variations adjust the ingredient ratios for denser, softer, and/or chewier chocolate chip cookies versus those that are more crispy and crunchy. Other variations call for cocoa in the cookie dough for a double chocolate factor.
And the options for add-ins go well beyond the humble chocolate morsel! You can mix in nuts of any variety; dried fruit like cranberries, cherries or raisins; chopped up candy bars or m&ms; as well as any flavor chip, from white chocolate and butterscotch, to peanut butter or mint-flavored.
Chocolate chip cookies are an easy bake
Part of the charm of this cookie is its simplicity. You don’t even need to pull out a mixer to bake these cookies — just assemble a mixing bowl and wooden spoon and you’ll get the job done.
The typical chocolate chip cookie dough starts with creamed fat and sugar — these days most recipes call for butter and some portion of brown sugar — before stirring in egg and vanilla and then the flour, salt and raising agent. Mix-ins like chocolate chips are added once the cookie dough is formed.
Below we have collected some of the most well-known, classic versions of this vintage cookie recipe. Which one is your favorite?
Made from chip-resistant earthenware, this mixing bowl is perfect for stirring up bread and cookie dough, as well as cake batter, pastries and pudding mixes. Intricately embossed with scenes of whimsical forest animals, the pattern is designed to help you maintain a secure grip on the bowl while mixing - and it's really pretty, too!
The now-ubiquitous chocolate chip cookie came to be back in 1938, and soon were called ‘famous.’ Here’s the original Toll House cookie recipe, plus more of their history! Straight from 1978, here is a wonderful recipe to try for delicious walnut chocolate chip cookies. These delicious chocolate chip bars – Toll House pan cookies – are an easy and delicious way to get an old-fashioned chocolate fix. If you’d like to become a more creative baker, you might consider replacing the ordinary chocolate chips you’re using with m&ms mini baking bits. Just use your imagination, or use this jumbles recipe, for starters. There’s a taste of heaven in every bite of these super chocolate chunk cookies made with big chunks of rich chocolate. And try the dipped cookies, too! Cookies… made with boxed pudding mix? Yep, it’s a thing, and they’re pretty delicious, too! Get retro recipes for chocolate chip cookies, butterscotch, oatmeal, lemon & more pudding mix cookies here. Try this classic chocolate-orange dream cookies recipe from 1994 - an orange-flavored chocolate chip treat that's similar to the popular white chocolate-orange dream cookies! Find out how to make these pretty little rolled chocolate chip cookies that you can even decorate for the holidays! Toll House Marble Squares have the same old-fashioned flavor of Toll House Cookies, but the whole batch is baked at one time in a baking pan instead of on cookie sheets. Choco-peanut butter bar cookies, made with semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped peanuts, are all chewy and crunchy at the same time. Think chocolate chip cookies are your family’s favorite? You’re half right. Introducing Reese’s cookies: Chocolate chips and peanut butter chips… irresistible.
The original Toll House Cookie recipe, plus the famous chocolate chip cookie's history
Walnut chocolate chip cookies (1978)
Toll House pan cookies recipe: Classic chocolate chip cookie bars from 1982
Easy m&ms jumbles cookie recipe
How to make super chocolate chunk cookies - plus a dipped version (1986)
Can you really make cookies with pudding mix? Find out for yourself with these 7 vintage pudding cookie recipes
Chocolate-orange dream cookies (1994)
Chocolate mini-chip holiday cookies (1994)
Toll House Marble Squares bar cookies (1960s)
Choco-peanut butter bar cookies (1972)
Get your retro Reese's cookies here with this recipe from the '80s
