Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies Make the World Go ‘Round

It’s the treat realtors tell their sellers to bake when they have an open house so the house smells like a home.  And it’s what Cookie Monster has been chomping on for 50 years. 

Yes, it’s the revered chocolate chip cookie. The old standby.  The standard bearer of cookies.

This cookie is such a special treat that it has its own National Day on August 4th.

 



A Brief History of Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

Where did this beloved cookie get its start?

We have Ruth Wakefield to thank. She owned the Toll House restaurant in Massachusetss and invented this chocoltay chunk of goodness in the 1930s.

Apparently Ms. Wakefield’s invention was no happy accident.  With a degree in household arts, it was most likely the result of diligent testing and development. 

Her restaurant was known for its desserts and she invented these cookies with the intention of serving them with ice cream. 

That was back in the day before so many flavors of ice cream were around so the chocolate morsels were most likely intended to be served alongside vanilla ice cream. 

Legend has it that she ran out of baker’s chocolate and substituted the now-standard semi-sweet morsels.

Her delectable creation was featured on the Betty Crocker radio program later in the decade. 

And homemade chocolate chip cookies have been a staple in most kitchens since then.

 



The Allure of Off-The-Chain Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

The aroma is alluring and there’s something comforting about enjoying one fresh out of the oven.

My chocolate chip cookie recipe is called “Off-the-Chain Chocolate Chip Cookies.” That’s slang for super good!

We all have our own take on what makes a perfect batch of chocolate chip cookies.

This recipe shared with me by a chef friend of mine does some cool things that you need to give a try. It’s the best of what you remember your grandmother’s chocolate chip cookies to be but with a modern twist.



Using kosher salt both in the mixture as well as sprinkled on top of the finished cookies

Mixing in semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips

Browning the butter in the basic mixture which gives a nutty flavor

* Adding in espresso powder for a richer, deeper flavor



 So much for reading the recipe off the back of the chip package.  

I bet you could almost taste the zip in these cookies once I said “espresso powder.”