Was reading a baking history book and found out the first chocolate chip cookie was an accident

I was flipping through 'The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets' and it said Ruth Wakefield invented them in 1938 at the Toll House Inn because she ran out of baker's chocolate. She just chopped up a Nestle bar expecting it to melt, but the chips stayed whole. I'd always thought it was a planned recipe. Has anyone else had a happy accident like that turn into a staple for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

stella_rodriguez1mo ago

It's funny how the best stories get polished over time.

perry.jessica20d ago

Yeah, I just lean into the better version of a story once it's out there.

the_emery1mo agoMost Upvoted

Actually, I've always heard that story was a bit of a myth. The way I understand it, Ruth Wakefield was a trained dietitian and a very good baker. She probably knew chopped chocolate wouldn't melt the same way. It seems more like a smart tweak to a recipe that got a good story added later for marketing. Not really an accident, just a clever change that worked.