WASHINGTON — Chocolate chips: such a simple yet critical addition to cookies, pastries, trail mix and more. This year, National Chocolate Chip Day falls on Monday, your free pass to indulge in all things studded with the sweet morsels.
Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
Get an extra boost of protein from the secret ingredient that makes this recipe sing — chickpeas. Find the recipe here.
(AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
AP Photo/Matthew Mead
Chocolate berry baskets
Edible vessels to fill with your goodies of choice. Find the recipe here.
(AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
AP Photo/Matthew Mead
Overnight cherry chocolate chip oatmeal pudding
Add a splash of dessert to your breakfast of oats. Find the recipe here.
(AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
AP Photo/Matthew Mead
Chewy white chocolate pine nut cookies
Chocolate chips paired with orange zest give these cookies a zing. But the pine nuts add a touch of creaminess to these chewy treats. Find the recipe here.
(AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
AP Photo/Matthew Mead
Stovetop Popcorn Many Ways
Chocolate chips mingle with mini marshmallows and salted peanuts in this party snack. Find the recipe here.
(AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
AP Photo/Matthew Mead
Chocolate chip cookie dough dip
A dip to surpass all dips. Opt for the healthier version of the recipe, made with chickpeas and dates. Or forego the peas and stick to sweets.
(AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
AP Photo/Matthew Mead
Caramel-chocolate apple chips
A different take on the caramel apple, using chocolate morsels and baked apple slices. Find the recipe here.
(AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
AP Photo/Matthew Mead
Fruit and chocolate scones
Add a sweet note to your afternoon tea with chocolate chip-studded scones. Find the recipe here.
(AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
AP Photo/Matthew Mead
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
With months left until autumn, here’s an excuse to bring back a pumpkin-flavored treat. Find the recipe here.
(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
AP Photo/Kathy Willens
Peanut butter chocolate chip cookie “ice cream” sandwiches
An ice cream-esque filling brings two cookies together in creamy matrimony. Find the recipe here.
(PRNewsFoto/Pillsbury)
PRNewsFoto/Pillsbury
Oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies
A comforting classic to fill up your cookie jar. This Betty Crocker recipe uses semisweet chocolate chips and quick-cooking oats.
(AP Photo/Larry Crowe)
AP Photo/Larry Crowe
Chocolate chip waffles
Batter up to hit a home run with this (somewhat) healthy version of chocolate chip waffles. A breakfast for champions, indeed. Find the recipe here.
(AP Photo/Larry Crowe)
AP Photo/Larry Crowe
Double chocolate chip brownies
Loaded with layers of chocolate in every bite, these brownies need nothing more than a cold glass of milk by its side. Find the recipe here.
(AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
AP Photo/Matthew Mead
Banana bread with chocolate and crystallized ginger
Take your banana bread to the next level by incorporating different textures and flavors of sweet. Find the recipe here.
(AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
AP Photo/Matthew Mead
Milk chocolate maple bacon cookies
Another way to incorporate bacon into your snacks. Find the recipe here.
(AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Many sources credit Ruth Wakefiled, of Massachusetts, for the invention of the chocolate chip cookie, whose recipe you can find on Nestle’s packaging.
According to the tale, Wakefield once owned a tourist lodge called The Toll House Inn, where she created recipes and cooked for her guests.
In 1937, Wakefield was preparing a batch of cookies only to discover she was out of baker’s chocolate. She had a bar of Nestle’s semisweet chocolate on hand and used bits of it in her batter as a substitute, expecting the pieces to melt and create chocolate cookies.
But when the treats came out of the oven, Wakefield had an entirely new cookie species in her hands.
She called them “Toll House Crunch Cookies,” and they — along with Nestle semisweet chocolate chips — became so popular that she and Andrew Nestle reached a deal. Wakefield would receive a lifetime supply of Nestle chocolate, and her recipe would be printed on all semisweet chocolate packaging.
Find Wakefield’s Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe on Nestle’s website, or scroll through the gallery above for 15 more recipes to celebrate the holiday.