National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day? Yes!
Thursday, August 4 is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Do we really need a special holiday to honor the chocolate chip cookie? Yes! This beloved cookie DOES deserve its own special day. There’s no denying that it is a tantalizing and adored treat. Over 40% of all Americans name the chocolate chip cookie as their favorite, earning it the status of the “American cookie”.
The chocolate chip cookie attributes it creation to an act of serendipity. The first known version was made in 1938 in Whitman, Massachusetts at an inn called the Toll House, where chef Ruth Graves Wakefield threw chocolate bar chunks into her cookie dough. The rest is history.
A warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie from the oven transports me back to happy childhood memories. Like many, I grew up on the Nestle Toll House cookie recipe. During the pandemic lock-down I decided to up my chocolate chip cookie game and (many cookies later) I FINALLY found this one. It is my all-time favorite, go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe courtesy of The Inquiring Chef. You can’t eat just one.
Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
I use and recommend Guittard dark chocolate chips and always adhere to the recipe advise to refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes before scooping onto a sheet pan to bake. This never fails to result in a scrumptious cookie that is chewy in the middle and crispy around the edges. The PERFECT chocolate chip cookie!
No matter how you like your chocolate chip cookie there is a way to celebrate this special day. Make a batch of chocolate chip cookies. How about grabbing a friend for a bakery crawl? You may even find bakeries celebrating the day by giving free samples. If your favorite chocolate chip cookie is found in the grocery store, go for it!
Did you know:
- Chips Ahoy debuted in grocery stores in 1968, making it the first commercial chocolate chip cookie.
- Ben & Jerry’s were the first to introduce Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream in 1984. It was an instant hit.
- The chocolate chip cookie was named the official state cookie of Massachusetts in 1997.
However you decide to celebrate, do it with a friend or two and don’t forget the cold milk!
Note: Toll Gate photo courtesy of Wikipedia. Cookie photos courtesy of the NYT Cooking.