Wednesday, October 31, 2007

The Spread Of Recipes: Chocolate Chip Cookies Go To War

After their humble birth in a small inn in Massachusetts, the chocolate chip cookies history wanders through the battlefields of WWII. The soldiers from Massachusetts were receiving Toll House cookies in their care packages from home, and sharing them with their fellow American GIs. Soon, these soldiers from other parts of America were writing home for these delicious cookies.

Hundreds of letters poured into the Toll House Inn and a nationwide craze began for this most famous of Mrs. Wakefield's recipes. Chocolate chip cookies soon became a household staple.

Today, you'll find amongst the most popular cookie recipes, chocolate chip cookies lead the way. Half of all cookies baked in American homes are chocolate chip cookies. Recipes for the famous cookie have changed over the years, but you can still enjoy the original Toll House taste.

In my next post, I'll be sharing my own version of the Toll House cookie – one that goes back to the original. Get ready for baking the best by getting yourself this new super version of parchment paper for baking that I found online. The Le Creuset baking sheet makes clean-up a breeze and it's reusable – my new baking friend. Click here to see my new favourite baking goods shop where you can get the Le Creuset.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

One Of Our Favourite Recipes, Chocolate Chip Cookies Origin Has Two Stories

Although we know that chocolate chip cookies were first baked at the Toll House Inn, parts of the chocolate chip cookies history is still unclear. There are two stories – the one publicized by Nestle and the one told by an old employee of the inn.

According to the swiss chocolate company, Nestle – who has printed all their chocolate chip packages with this beloved of recipes – chocolate chip cookies came about as the result of a failed experiment. They state that Mrs. Wakefield was making chocolate chip cookies, and had run out of her regular supply of baker's chocolate.

Instead, she chopped up a bar of Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate and tossed the bits into the dough. She had hoped the chocolate would melt into the cookie dough, but it didn't and led to one of America's favourite recipes – chocolate chip cookies.

The second story, told by a former employee of the Toll House Inn, reveals that Mrs. Wakefield was much too experienced a cook to make that kind of mistake. Instead, chocolate chip cookies history started with a lucky accident.

The large and rumbling Hobart mixer, being use to blend a large batch of cookie dough, shook loose a Nestle chocolate bar on a shelf above. After the bar had fallen into the bowl, and been chopped into the batter by the powerful mixer, Mrs. Wakefield was ready to toss out the “ruined” batch. Fortunately for lovers of delicious recipes, chocolate chip cookies were saved by a frugal employee.

The rest of chocolate chip cookies history in my next post, followed by the famous recipe itself. Time for baking. Good bakeware is the answer to how to make chocolate chip cookies that are perfect, and I've found my new supplier – online. Click here to feast your eyes on some beauties for your kitchen.

Monday, October 29, 2007

Legend Of Recipes: Chocolate Chip Cookies And The Toll House Inn

One of America's most beloved recipes, chocolate chip cookies were first created at the Toll House Inn in 1937. In fact, the chocolate chip cookies history begins with an accident in the kitchen of an old toll house.

Built in 1709, the old toll house – halfway between Boston and Bedford, Massachusetts – was never just a place to pay your toll and change horses. It also provided hearty home-cooked meals and a night of rest and recuperation for weary travelers. It would also come to provide the most popular of all chocolate chip cookies recipes.

In 1930, the Toll House Inn was established by Ken and Ruth Wakefield, who decided from day one to uphold the toll houses long-standing traditions. Ruth cooked all the inns meals and soon her delicious desserts became a famous treat in Massachusetts.

It was her chocolate chip cookies that became the most famous, and placed the Toll House Inn on the pages of chocolate chip cookies history.

The rest of the story – in my next post. In the meantime, if you're going to bake chocolate chip cookies, I've discovered the ultimate parchment paper for baking substitute. My favourite supplier is online – click here to see their fantastic baking goods
.