Best Darn Chocolate Chip Cookies Found in California

Ruth Wakefield, a dietitian, invented chocolate chip cookies, the American icon of treats, at the Toll House Inn, a tourist lodge she and her husband bought in the 1920’s. The now-famous recipe came about because of a substitution. She used a semi-sweet chocolate bar cut into bits instead of baker's chocolate in a cookie recipe. The chocolate bits did not melt completely, and the result was a huge hit with her guests. As the Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe became popular, sales of Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate increased. Andrew Nestle struck a deal with Ruth to print the Toll House Cookie recipe on its packaging. In return, Ruth received a lifetime supply of Nestle chocolate.

COPIA, the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa, CA, set about finding the best darn chocolate chip cookie in the country. More than 160 recipes were submitted from as far away as Italy.

Ten were selected to be judged by a panel of food experts, including cookbook authors Fran Gage, James McNair and Alice Medrich and Nicole Plue, Pastry Chef for Julia’s Kitchen and Sasha Paulsen, editor of the Napa Valley Register. The judges selected three finalists, with the winners announced at COPIA’s Death by Chocolate: The Ultimate Tasting Experience, February 18.

And the winners are…

First place: Chaim Potter, Napa, Mexican Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe). The flavor and scent are reminiscent of warm Mexican hot chocolate. And the rich chocolate stays gooey long after they cool, if they last that long.

Second place: Celeste “CB” Wiser, Napa, Brother and Sister Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe). “These are special because Brother likes semi-sweet chips, Sister likes white chocolate, and I like the rich vanilla taste,” says Wiser.

Third place (also won People’s Choice): Paige Isbutt, Folsom, CA, All-Grown-up Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe). This is a chocolate chip cookie for grown-ups. The slight bitterness of the chocolate and espresso, combined with the caramel sweet flavors of the golden syrup and the malted milk powder, create a cookie with a complex flavor that is not too sweet and a strong chocolate punch.

Edited by Patricia D. Sherman

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