Last week found me baking a batch of Toll House Cookies for my grandchildren. The iconic chocolate chip cookie is probably one of the most loved cookies in the United States. I decided to find out the story behind the cookie and found Ruth Wakefield.
Ruth Wakefield bought an old Toll House in Whitman, Massachusetts and converted it into a restaurant. In 1930 Ruth was baking a batch of chocolate-butter drop cookies which was a popular dessert at that time. In order to save time Ruth added chunks of chocolate to the recipe instead of melting the chocolate on the stove top. A simple mistake led to the iconic cookie.
Ruth Wakefield
Chocolate Chip Cookie Inventor

Chocolate chip cookies are a favorite treat for people of all ages, but without the famous woman inventor Ruth Wakefield, the world might never have tasted those sweet delights. Born in 1905, Wakefield grew up to be a dietician and food lecturer after graduating from the Framingham State Normal School Department of Household Arts in 1924. Along with her husband Kenneth, she bought a tourist lodge named the Toll House Inn, where she prepared the recipes for meals that were served to guests.
In 1930, Wakefield was mixing a batch of cookies for her roadside inn guests when she discovered that she was out of baker’s chocolate. She substituted broken pieces of Nestle’s semi-sweet chocolate, expecting it to melt and absorb into the dough to create chocolate cookies. That didn’t happen, but the surprising result helped to make Ruth Wakefield one of the 20th century’s most famous women inventors. When she removed the pan from the oven, Wakefield realized that she had accidentally invented “chocolate chip cookies.”
At the time, she called her creations “Toll House Crunch Cookies.” They became extremely popular locally, and the recipe was soon published in a Boston newspaper. As the popularity of the Toll House Crunch Cookie increased, the sales of Nestle’s semi-sweet chocolate bars also spiked. Andrew Nestle and Ruth Wakefield decided to come up with an agreement. Nestle would print the Toll House Cookie recipe on its package, and Wakefield would be given a lifetime supply of Nestle chocolate. Due to this unexpected discovery by a famous woman inventor, the chocolate chip cookie became the most popular variety of cookie in America, a distinction it still holds to this day.
RUTH WAKEFIELD YOU ROCK!
I invite you to share a story about an inspiring woman in the comments section. Just leave us a link to your post. We can never read too many stories about inspiring women. 
The above information is from Famous Women Inventors, http://www.women-inventors.com.
And I believe it is the state cookie of Massachusetts. Originally the State Cookie was the Fig Newton but a movement started some years ago to change it to the Chocolate Chip on account of the fact that Ruth invented it in Massachusetts. A fearsome battle ensued until the incumbent Governor at the time (and I forget the dates but this is fairly recent) invited a posse of local school children to his office where they were presented with plates of both cookie and asked which they preferred …. I think he was a Toll House Cookie man because there can surely have been NO doubt that the huge majority of children would favour chocolate chip cookies over what in England we call Fig Rolls. But there are many who are still disgruntled about the change! Loved reading this because that was the bit of the story, the crucial bit of the story let’s face it, that no-one had told me!
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And your comment is the perfect follow up. It makes me smile just thinking of an eat off to determine the state cookie.
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I’ll bet those children enjoyed it too … Governor with the right priorities, I thought! Have a joyful weekend, filled with love and laughter lovely Ms B! 💕
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I love learning historical tidbits like that! My kids are going to be so impressed I know this! Thanks for sharing this info today, Bernadette. The chocolate chip cookie is my favorite cookie of all time!
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I love how the cookies were kind of a fluke. Funny how that happens. Chocolate for life isn’t too bad, though I think Nestle made out on that deal. All of a sudden I feel a need to bake some cookies. 🙂
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Well thank goodness for Ruth Wakefield! Love hearing about the origins of the chocolate chip cookies.
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Oh my, now I have a craving for chocolate chip cookies. Great post, Bernadette.
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So many great and iconic things are invented by accident – here is one more! Luckily. Can you imagine the world without them?!!😀
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How wonderful. I love stories like this!! Thanks for sharing.
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It never occurred to me that a cookie baker would be called an inventor. Cool.
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What a lovely story. I would love to have your recipe.😊
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How about that: a mistake that sweetened our 🌎.
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