We always have chocolate chips in the pantry so we can make these cookies! Be sure to check out these reader favorite chocolate chip recipes like Chocolate Chip Scones, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge, and Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins.
The Origins of Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
It’s almost hard to believe that chocolate chip cookies weren’t around until they were first created by Ruth Wakefield at the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts in the 1930’s. The inn itself had been around since 1709 and was situated between Boston and New Bedford. Ms. Wakefield initially called her cookies “chocolate crunch cookies” and made them with a bar of chopped up Nestle semisweet chocolate. It was included in her 1936 cookbook of “tried and true” recipes. Now it’s America’s favorite cookie and everyone has their favorite version, whether it’s thick, almost scone-like Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookies, soft & chewy chocolate chip cookies, or the classic Toll House recipe that has been printed on the back of bag of Nestle’s semisweet morsels since they started being sold in 1939. It’s Ms. Wakefield’s classic recipe I’m sharing today for it’s slightly thinner cookies with their prominent buttery flavor (Ms. Wakefield adding her chocolate bits to a butter drop cookie, which was her base to begin with after all), crispy outer edges, and chewy centers. And yes, this version even includes walnuts, just like the original, although they are optional and can be left out if you prefer, and has one slight difference from the version on the back of the bag. I wanted to include this recipe as part of my American Eats series where I’m sharing some of the most popular and iconic recipes from each state, one state at a time. Massachusetts has a long history of delicious food that it is well-known for, and these Nestle Toll House cookies had to be included on that list!
Classic Toll House Cookies Recipe Ingredients
Flour: Regular all-purpose flour is all you need for a batch of these cookies. The amount is slightly less than in my soft & chewy chocolate chip cookies, which results in thinner cookies with crispier edges. Sugar: Both granulated sugar and brown sugar are used in harmony for perfectly sweet cookies. Butter: In the original recipe it just specifies “butter” but doesn’t say salted or unsalted. In the past, unsalted butter was more important in baking because salted butter would be up to 10 times saltier to help preserve it. Nowadays there isn’t a hugely noticeable difference in baking so I always just use salted butter to makes things easier. Baking soda: Baking soda helps the cookies spread a bit so they have just the right texture. The original recipe called for dissolving the baking soda in water but at some point Nestle decided to skip that step, which makes sense since it doesn’t make much of a difference. Salt: Really good chocolate chip cookies need a little salt to balance out the sweet. Eggs: These are what help make the cookies nice and chewy. Vanilla extract: I love using my homemade vanilla extract in recipes. Semisweet chocolate chips: This classic recipe has a nice balance of cookie to chocolate chips. Although you could use milk or dark chips, the original Toll House cookies are made with semisweet. Walnuts: I LOVE walnuts in cookies and Ms. Wakefield included them in her original recipe. They are optional, though, if you have allergies or just prefer to leave them out.
Toll House Cookie Substitutions and Variations
Chocolate: Try switching out the semisweet chocolate chips for milk chocolate chips. Or use half semisweet and half milk chocolate or half regular semisweet chocolate chips and half mini chocolate chips for chocolate in every bite! Nuts: If you don’t have walnuts on hand, chopped pecans are an excellent alternative.
How to make Toll House Cookies
Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies Tips for Success
Don’t overbake. We like to slightly underbake these cookies so they stay soft and chewy longer. Overbaking results in a more crisp, dry cookie. Use parchment paper to line your baking sheets. It makes clean up a breeze and prevents the cookies from sticking to the baking sheets. Don’t skip creaming the butter and sugar. The two ingredients need to be combined well for the cookies to bake properly.
Storing Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies will keep well on the counter for about 5 days when stored in an airtight container. They also freeze really well for about 3 months. You can also freeze the dough, if you don’t want to bake an entire batch at once. We prefer scooping the cookies out into individual mounds and flash freezing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then transferring the frozen balls of dough to a freezer-safe bag for longer term (about 2-3 months) storage. That way you can bake only as many as you need and have fresh cookies any time you want. There is no need to thaw the cookie dough before baking. Just place the frozen balls of dough on your baking sheet and bake them for an extra minute or two longer.
More Cookie Recipes
The Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Soft & Chewy Molasses Cookies Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies Monster Cookies
More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • New Jersey • New York • Oregon • Puerto Rico • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Wisconsin
Big, Soft Baked Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Homemade Iced Oatmeal Cookies
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