A Year of Blogging: May 15, 2011

May 15 is National Chocolate Chip Day. What an absolutely yummy day! I wanted to whip up a double batch of chocolate chip cookies, but I'm too exhausted to do that today. I wondered where chocolate chips came from. We know that Ruth Graves Wakefield at the Toll House Inn in Whitman, MA 'invented' chocolate chip cookies in 1937 by accident. She added cut up chunks of chocolate to a cookie recipe, and baked up a huge hit! I did not know that in 1939, she made a deal with Nestle to put her recipe on the back of Nestle chocolate bars in exchange for a lifetime supply of chocolate. That's a great deal! A lifetime supply of chocolate. That would erase any ounce of willpower I possessed. In 1941, Nestle started producing the chocolate as morsels or chips. The rest is a delicious history! Chocolate chips are excellent in cookies. Naturally. There are so many other options. One of my favorites is chocolate chip muffins. It is my favorite kind of muffin. They are sweet and moist. Kind of like dessert for breakfast. Another favorite is a banana chocolate chip muffin. When I first heard it, I thought 'ew'. I don't like bananas. But if you have an overripe banana and are making banana bread, throw in some chocolate chips. It's good as a bread or a muffin. Chocolate chips are good in cakes, pies, and even brownies. If the brownie mix doesn't have enough chocolate for you, toss in chocolate chips. They are also good as a garnish. Decorate your cakes with them, or a dish of pudding and cool whip. They also work well as a condiment for ice cream! Chocolate chips also are a great way to satisfy the chocolate cravings we all have. We always have chocolate chips in the house. My mom did too. There have been plenty of times I've wanted some chocolate, and couldn't find anything other than chocolate chips, so I'll grab a handful of chocolate chips. Mom used to get annoyed because when she went to make cookies, there were far fewer chocolate chips than she thought. You can also put chocolate chips in pancakes or waffles. I've never tried that, because I like to smother my pancakes and waffles in pure maple syrup, and I don't think the chocolate chips and the maple would go well together. There's so many ways to enjoy these little sweet morsels. Cook up your favorite today!