Buzz
Few things can match the thrill of homemade chocolate chip cookies coming out of the oven. From their irresistible aroma to the tender, chewy bite, they stand alone in their appeal.
Even though these cookies face temperatures of 350 degrees or more, the chocolate chips generally stay intact. But why is that?
Here’s a bit of chocolate chip cookie lore: According to the story, the treat was created by accident when Kenneth and Ruth Graves Wakefield were running the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, back in 1930. While making Chocolate Butter Drop Do cookies, Ruth found herself out of baker’s chocolate. Instead, she used some semi-sweet chocolate given to her by Andrew Nestlé of the Nestlé company.
Ruth anticipated that the Nestlé chocolate would behave like baker's chocolate, melting seamlessly into the cookie dough. Instead, it held its form, keeping its shape and giving rise to what we now recognize as the chocolate chip cookie. The Toll House brand quickly became synonymous with the recipe, and Nestlé adopted the name for its recipes and packaging.
By the late 1930s, Nestlé began selling its own pre-chopped semi-sweet chocolate morsels, and other companies quickly followed suit. Unlike baking chocolate, chocolate chips are different in that they contain less cocoa butter, which makes them more heat-resistant. Some chips even contain stabilizers and emulsifiers like soy lecithin to help maintain their shape. Essentially, these chips are designed to resist turning into liquid. Nestlé's Morsels do melt when baked, but because the dough firms up around them, they maintain their shape. Once the cookie cools, the chocolate solidifies again, creating the illusion of a chip unaffected by heat.
While it is possible to melt chocolate chips—using a microwave or double boiler gives the best results—be prepared for a thick and tough mixture. Melting chocolate is generally better suited for fatter varieties, which are more likely to transform into a smooth liquid when heated.
As for Ruth Wakefield: Despite the invention of the chocolate chip cookie, which should have brought her a financial windfall, she was paid just $1 for the rights to the Toll House name in 1939. However, Nestlé did offer her a lifetime supply of their heat-resistant chocolate.
