The classic American cookie. Google tells me this was invented by Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1938 while she was the owner of the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts. This is the original Nestle Toll House recipe, so it’s all making sense. Well done, Ruth!

These are easy to make, easy to freeze and a real crowd pleaser for any occasion.

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2  large eggs
• 1 package chocolate chips

First, set out two sticks of butter to soften. I use unsalted. If you have salted butter, consider skipping the teaspoon of salt that goes in the recipe. It takes a bit of time for butter to soften, so you might even do this the night before or while you’re having your morning coffee.

Preheat your oven to 375.

Mix the flour, soda and salt (if using) together in a separate bowl.

In a different bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until well mixed. I use a stand mixer for this. Add the vanilla and mix again. Add the eggs one at a time and mix again.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar/eggs miracle mixture until everything is well blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips! A note, I used milk chocolate chips here, but the original calls for semi-sweet. Really, I think you could use any chocolate chip you want. But use about 2 cups worth. Milk chocolate chips are excellent.

Once your dough is mixed, you’re ready to start forming cookies. You will probably want at least two cookie sheets so you can have a continuous cooking flow.

Use a tablespoon measure to form your balls (mine ended up being a bit more than a tablespoon).

Then bake at 375 for 9 minutes.

Let cool on pan for two minutes before moving to the rack.

Once you’ve got a batch off your sheet, prep the next one for the oven. You’ll do a few rounds of this as this at the recipe makes about 5 dozen cookies.

I recommend making an ice cream sandwich with fresh baked still warm cookies.

Whatever cookies you don’t gobble up or give away can be frozen. In theory, you could make these and have one cookie per day for three months. I’m sure that would keep the doctor away!