It was a mistake. A shortcut used to save time. An error in judgment that led to one of the most loved, enduring and copied creations ever. Some people are so passionate about them that they consider them a staple for parties and everyday enjoyment. They’re chocolate chip cookies and they were invented accidentally by Ruth Wakefield in 1930.
Ruth and her husband were proprietors of the old Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts. One day she was making a batch of popular chocolate-butter drop cookies, which required chocolate to be melted and poured into the batter. To save time, Ruth cut up the chocolate and stirred it in, assuming the chocolate would melt and blend while cooking.
When she pulled the pans out of the oven her heart sank. She found that the chocolate hadn’t melted, but had stayed in separate chunks. She thought her cookies were ruined until she tasted them and found them to be delicious. She served them to her guests and they agreed. As business at the Inn grew in popularity, Ruth’s Toll House cookies became famous, and other bakers copied her recipe.
Executives at the Nestle Candy Company wondered why their sales on the east coast had taken such an accelerated leap, and quickly realized the reason was Ruth and her cookies.
Ruth asked them to score lines in their chocolate bars to make them easier to break, and they complied. In 1939 they took it a step further and created chocolate morsels, which we commonly call chocolate chips. They bought the rights to the Toll House name and with Ruth’s permission, published her recipe on the back of the bag. In exchange, Ruth was given a lifetime supply of chocolate.
So the next time you’re pulling a warm batch of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven, remember to thank a woman. Thank Ruth Wakefield.
