When Was the Chocolate Chip Cookie Invented?
It is often hard to imagine that such a classic and well known food even had an inventor, but it did. The chocolate chip cookie was invented in 1930.
If you can’t imagine life without chocolate chip cookies, you owe a few favors to Ruth Wakefield of Whitman, Massachusetts. Credited as the inventor of the chocolate chip cookie, Ms. Wakefield developed this classic treat in 1930...so this is often considered the official date when the chocolate chip cookie was invented.
How the Chocolate Chip Cookie Was Invented
Knowing the date when the chocolate chip cookie was invented isn't the end of the story though. Like most American foods, the chocolate chip cookie has a charming history.
Toll House Inn
Ms. Wakefield was the owner of a popular restaurant in Whitman called the Toll House Inn. She served huge portions of comfort foods and was well known for freshly-baked cookies to round off the feasts.
One day, as the story goes, Ms. Wakefield, was making chocolate cookies. She was running low on baking chocolate and substituted semi-sweet pieces instead, expecting them to melt and flavor the batter as baking chocolate would have done. Needless to say… that didn’t happen. The semi-sweet pieces melted, but they didn’t spread into the batter. They simply stayed in, well, chips, and a legend was born.
The story of when the chocolate chip cookie was invented therefore reveals that, like many other famous inventions such as the microwave, the invention of the chocolate chip cookie happened by mistake.
Spread of the Chocolate Chip Cookie
Shortly after the time when the chocolate chip cookie was invented, the cookie grew in popularity – it was a favorite with soldiers overseas in World War II and graced plenty of care packages throughout the battle. In 1936, Ruth Wakefield published a generously-sized (like her portions) book of recipes, and she included within its pages the “Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookie.” A version of this recipe can still be found on the back of every bag of Nestle’s chocolate chips to this day.
Other Stories of When the Cookie Was Invented
Are you charmed by Ms. Wakefield? Hold on a second, because hers is not the only claim on the cookie.
George Boucher, a chef at the Toll House, told his own version of the story that involved a freak incident with a bar of chocolate falling off a shelf due to the vibrations of the mixer, and landing directly into the mixing bowl full of cookie batter, and getting chopped into chips by the chopping. An irritated Ms. Wakefield prepared to throw the mixture out and was stopped by the heroic Mr. Boucher.
Which legend do you believe? It’s not too important, although you can note, if you’re interested in marketing techniques, that Nestle chocolate is fully on Ms. Wakefield’s side, and the story about her serendipitous discovery is a classic and much-beloved part of the Nestle legend. The chocolate she mixed into the cookies was Nestle, too, of course.
The story doesn’t matter too much. The important thing is that, next time you enjoy a good old-fashioned CCC, thank Wakefield, Boucher, Nestle, or maybe all three.