The True Story of the Chocolate Chip Cookie (video)

A video tribute to the creator of the chocolate chip cookie.

Today the chocolate chip cookie comes in so many varieties and is such an essential member of the American dessert family, that it’s hard to imagine that there was once a time when it wasn’t even an option. The cookie was the invention of Toll House Inn restaurant owner and chef Ruth Graves Wakefield (1903–1977). It was a hit with customers, and instead of keeping her recipe secret, she included it in her cookbooks and struck a deal with Nestle to print the recipe on every bag of their new chocolate morsels.

Many of us have memories of enjoying chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven thanks to her, and a few have made a fortune by putting their own spin on the cookie. We remember her on May 15 for National Chocolate Chip Day, and any time we bite into one of her classic Toll House cookies.