Ruth Wakefield's Email & Phone Number

📖 Summary

Ruth Wakefield was an American chef and the inventor of the iconic chocolate chip cookie. Born on June 17, 1903, in Easton, Massachusetts, Wakefield developed a passion for cooking at a young age. She attended the Framingham State Normal School Department of Household Arts in 1924, where she graduated with a degree in household arts. She decided to pursue a career in cooking and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the same institution.

After completing her education, Wakefield began working as a dietitian and food lecturer at the Chamberlain School in New Jersey. She later moved to Massachusetts, where she worked as a supervisor at the Household Arts Department at an adult vocational school. It was during this time that she met and married Kenneth Donald Wakefield, who shared her love for cooking and baking.

In 1930, the couple purchased a tourist lodge called the Toll House Inn, located in Whitman, Massachusetts. The inn was known for its delicious food, and Wakefield soon gained a reputation for her exceptional culinary skills. She was particularly well-known for her desserts, and guests at the inn would often praise her rich and innovative creations.

One day, while preparing a batch of Butter Drop Do cookies, Wakefield made an unexpected discovery. She had run out of baker's chocolate, a key ingredient in the recipe, so she decided to substitute it with semi-sweet chocolate chunks. To her surprise, the chocolate did not melt completely, resulting in delectable pockets of chocolate in the finished cookies. This unintentional creation would later become the first-ever chocolate chip cookie.

Wakefield's invention quickly gained popularity in the surrounding area, and her chocolate chip cookies became a hit among tourists at the Toll House Inn. Word of the mouth spread, and soon, her delicious cookies were in high demand. After receiving numerous requests for her recipe, Wakefield published her famous Toll House Cookie recipe in a Boston newspaper. The recipe was an instant hit and became widely circulated, leading to the increased popularity of her signature creation.

In 1939, Wakefield struck a deal with Nestle, allowing the company to print her recipe on the back of their semi-sweet chocolate bars. In exchange, Wakefield received a lifetime supply of Nestle chocolate. This partnership helped introduce her famous chocolate chip cookie recipe to a wider audience and further cemented its reputation as a beloved American classic.

Ruth and Kenneth Wakefield operated the Toll House Inn for over 20 years, and during that time, the chocolate chip cookie gained nationwide fame. In 1966, the Wakefields sold the inn, and it was later destroyed to make room for the construction of U.S. Route 3. However, Wakefield's legacy lives on through her beloved creation, which she inadvertently stumbled upon and shared with the world.

Ruth Wakefield's innovative spirit and passion for cooking revolutionized the world of dessert, leaving a lasting impact on American culinary history. Her chocolate chip cookie recipe continues to be a staple in households and bakeries across the country, and her legacy as a pioneering chef and influential figure in the culinary world will be remembered for generations to come.