Official American Cookie

George Hirsch April 21, 2026

MIT credits Ruth Wakefield with inventing America's most iconic cookie, and it all happened by happy accident. Ruth, a dietitian and food lecturer, and her husband, Kenneth, ran the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts, where she delighted guests with her homemade meals.

One day in 1930, Ruth found herself out of baker's chocolate while whipping up cookies for her inn guests. Thinking on her feet, she tossed in chunks of semi-sweet chocolate gifted by Andrew Nestle, expecting them to melt into the dough. Instead, the chocolate held its shape, dotting the cookies with gooey pockets of sweetness. Thus, the "Toll House Crunch Cookie" was born.

Her chocolate chip cookies quickly became the talk of the town, and soon the buzz reached Andrew Nestle himself. Sensing an opportunity, Nestle purchased the rights to the Toll House name and Ruth's famous recipe. In return, Ruth received a lifetime supply of Nestle chocolate—a sweet deal for any chocolate lover.

Nestle soon printed the Toll House Cookie recipe on its chocolate bars, which were cleverly scored for easy breaking. By 1939, those iconic yellow bags of chocolate chips hit the shelves. The rest is history: the chocolate chip cookie rose to become America's favorite sweet treat.

Hampton Baking Co Chocolate Chip Origional copy.jpeg

My take on this American classic is chewier and less cakey than the original Toll House recipe, with a rich, dark hue thanks to dark brown sugar. Gather your friends, pour a tall glass of ice-cold milk, or try it with my Stout Coffee Ice Cream Float for an extra treat.

from George Hirsch Lifestyle Stout Coffee Ice Cream Float + Chocolate Chip Cookies — from *George Hirsch Lifestyle* Stout Coffee Ice Cream Float + Chocolate Chip Cookies

George's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 40 cookies

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2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) of lightly sweet butter at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, beaten

2 cups good-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped, or mini chips

Optional: 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Whisk the flour, soda, and salt together in a bowl. Cream the butter at low speed in another large bowl to lighten it a bit, then mix in the sugars and cream for two minutes. Add the water, vanilla, and eggs to the butter mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until combined, then fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Using two soup spoons, drop the cookies 2" apart onto two parchment-lined, nonstick, or greased cookie sheets. Bake for eight to nine minutes, rotating the sheets after four minutes.

Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool, and repeat the process with the rest of the dough.

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13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

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AS SEEN ON PUBLIC TELEVISION & CREATE TV- SEASON ONE
FEATURING CHEF GEORGE HIRSCH DEMONSTRATING HIS SAVORY COOKING, BAKING AND GRILLING RECIPES; WITH HIS EXPERT CULINARY TIPS & TECHNIQUES, ALONG WITH VISITS TO HIS INSPIRING HAMPTON LOCATIONS.

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

LIMITED OFFER, LIMITED EDITION, signed by Chef George.

From the original Grilling TV Series host, 200 Fabulous Recipe—Celebrating the joyous rituals of sharing food at year-round festivities, the star of PBS's Grilling with Chef George Hirsch provides a wealth of recipes and ideas for great party foods, plus advance preparation tips to ease the strain of last minute chores.

Hardcover: 310 pages
Publisher: Hearst Books-HarperCollins; 1St edition (June 12, 1995)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0688142257
ISBN-13: 978-0688142254
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

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This easy to live with lifestyle plan; with more than 165 of George's easy-to-prepare gourmet recipes, you can lose weight, maintain energy, look better, and enjoy a longer active life, by eating great food!
M.Evans and Company, Inc.

George Starts your year off right!

George Hirsch Living it UP
Recipes for a Healthy Active Life
Product Details
Hardcover: 240 pages; $24.95
Publisher: M. Evans and Company, Inc.; 2000
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0871319241
ISBN-13: 978-0871319241
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches

Creative Cooking tips
Fast Easy recipes that allow for an active lifestyle
A 30-Day Menu Plan you can adapt throughout the year
Support and motivation for staying on a healthy eating & exercise routine
Tips for easy food shopping & eating healthy on the run

Each book is personally autographed by George Hirsch.

Banana Walnut Bread

George Hirsch April 13, 2026

A loaf cake is in the pancake and muffin family, also referred to as a quick bread, and requires minimal preparation, baking in under an hour. Plus, using very ripe bananas (black) is the key to a successful, tender, and sweet loaf.

Cooking and baking are about finding joy in the process, learning as you go, and being mindful of what you are creating. A reminder to focus on quality over complexity and bring out the best in every ingredient. With banana bread, that means letting the natural sweetness of fully ripened bananas do the heavy lifting.

Tip: Save ripe bananas still in their skins and freeze them in a plastic freezer bag until you have enough to make a full recipe, so a great loaf is always within reach. For a lighter option, replace some or all of the butter with applesauce, keeping the bread moist and tender while reducing fat.

Banana Walnut Bread

Makes 1 loaf or 10-12 muffins

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For the Crumb Topping:

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons walnuts or pecans, chopped

1 Tablespoon sweet butter

In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nuts. Blend butter in with a fork until the mixture is crumb-like.

For the Loaf Mix:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups about 3-4 large very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup pure cane granulated sugar

3 Tablespoons honey

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 cup sweet butter, melted, or replace with part/ all applesauce

Lightly grease the loaf pan.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. SEE DIRECTIONS BELOW

PBS George Hirsch's Oven Fried Chicken Video Recipe

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, honey, egg, cinnamon, vanilla, nuts, and melted butter. Fold in by hand with a spatula the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just moistened.

Place batter into the loaf pan, and if using the optional crumb topping, sprinkle it on top of the batter.

Bake for 45-50 minutes. Test with a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf. Done when it comes out clean.

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13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

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Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

LIMITED OFFER, LIMITED EDITION, signed by Chef George.

Hardcover: 310 pages
Publisher: Hearst Books-HarperCollins; 1St edition (June 12, 1995)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0688142257
ISBN-13: 978-0688142254
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

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Irish Bread Pudding

George Hirsch March 16, 2026

Lá Fhéile Pádraig: Gaelic for Saint Patrick's Day or St. Paddy's. I like to use day-old French bread in my bread pudding recipe, or Cinnamon-raisin bread, sweet rolls, and even leftover Irish Soda Bread can also be used. Serve with a vanilla ice cream spiked with a wee bit of Irish. Slàinte

Irish Bread Pudding

Makes 10-12 servings

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2 Granny Smith or baking apples, peeled, cored, and chopped

3-4 cups cubed dry French Bread, Irish Soda, Brown Bread, or Cinnamon Raisin Bread

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup raisins, plumped in 1 cup hot water for 5 minutes

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

4 cups milk

8 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

2 Tablespoons vanilla

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup Irish Whisky

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pre-grease an 8 x 8-inch or 10-inch round cake pan.

CLICK to Watch classic Irish segment Pubs, Pints, People from George Hirsch Living it UP! — **CLICK to Watch** classic Irish segment Pubs, Pints, People from *George Hirsch Living it UP!*

Combine the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl and beat with a whisk until well blended. Add whiskey and slowly pour over the bread mixture. Add optional chopped chocolate. Poke the bread, completely covered with the milk mixture, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.

Place a pan larger than the cake pan or skillet in the preheated oven and place the pan holding the bread pudding inside. Immediately fill the outer pan with enough hot water to come up one inch on the sides of the bread-pudding pan.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the water bath, reduce the temperature to 325 degrees, and bake for 25 additional minutes. Remove the bread pudding and allow it to set for twenty minutes before serving. Serve with ice cream and a good Irish Coffee! Sláinte!

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13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

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Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

LIMITED OFFER, LIMITED EDITION, signed by Chef George.

Hardcover: 310 pages
Publisher: Hearst Books-HarperCollins; 1St edition (June 12, 1995)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0688142257
ISBN-13: 978-0688142254
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Angel Wings

George Hirsch February 16, 2026

Galani is also known as fried ribbons, bow ties, or angel wings in the U.S. The ribbons of sweet pasta dough are fried and covered with sugar or honey. It takes on different names throughout central Europe, including chrusciki, krusczyk, frappe, frappole, sfrappole, flappe, cenci, crustci, donzelli, crostoli, galani in Veneto, lattughe, nastri delle suore, bugie, and gigi. No matter what you call them, they are addictive.

Angel Wings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature

6 egg yolks

pinch of salt

grated zest of 1 lemon

6 Tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt

2 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon Sambuca, whiskey, or rum

frying oil

approximately 3/4 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar to pastries

By Mixer:

Place the flour in a mixing bowl with a dough hook, add all ingredients except the confectioners sugar, blend well at low speed, then mix for fifteen minutes.

By Hand:

If kneading by hand, make a well in the center. Add the egg yolks and rub in with the fingers until combined. Add all the other ingredients except the confectioner's sugar. Blend well and keep kneading by repeating a pattern of folding the dough, flattening it, folding again, and flattening it for at least half an hour.

Divide the dough into four pieces and cover it in plastic wrap. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for one hour or overnight.

When ready to fry, roll out the dough with a rolling stick 1/16th inch thick. Slice into one-and-a-half-inch wide strips. Cut the strips diagonally, preferably with a fluted pastry wheel, into 5-inch lengths. In each strip, cut a one-inch slit the long way in the middle. Pull one end of the strip through the slit so that it looks like a bowtie shape.

Preheat frying oil to 375°F. Test a small piece first; it should become golden in about 45 seconds, then turn over. Fry the strips in small batches until they turn light golden, turning once. Drain on wire screens and allow to cool. When cool, move to a serving platter and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Tip: The long mixing will create air pockets in the dough; you will want the air pockets to make the pastry puff when frying.

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13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

LIMITED OFFER, LIMITED EDITION, signed by Chef George.

Hardcover: 310 pages
Publisher: Hearst Books-HarperCollins; 1St edition (June 12, 1995)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0688142257
ISBN-13: 978-0688142254
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Chocolate Sauce, take a dip

George Hirsch February 12, 2026

This is one of those sauces that must be in every chef's repertoire. It's a classic. In a matter of minutes, you can turn a simple sweet into chocolate decadence. So set aside the guilt and go ahead - dip, drizzle, and dunk your way through fresh strawberries, ice cream, and cake.

One study has shown that the smell of chocolate may relax you by increasing theta waves in the brain. Yes, we all have them.

Does chocolate contain any nutrients? Yes, it does, in small amounts. A 1.5-ounce milk chocolate bar contains recommended daily values of the following vitamins and minerals:

• 3 grams of protein • 15% of the Daily Value of riboflavin • 9% of the Daily Value of calcium • 7% of the Daily Value of iron

When choosing chocolate, look for a shiny finish, which is a sign that the chocolate was heated at the right temperature for the right amount of time. Also, look for a crispy snap when chocolate is broken into pieces. Choose a good chocolate for a sauce like Lindt, Callebaut, or Scharffen Berger. In a pinch, chocolate chips will do. This very decadent sauce is ideally served with fresh strawberries. Note: this chocolate sauce recipe is not ideal for coating dipped strawberries. Chocolate Sauce Recipe Below

***Dip or Drizzle Chocolate Sauce On Your Favorite Cookies***

George's Chocolate Sauce

Recipe by Chef George Hirsch | George Hirsch Lifestyle TV Series

Makes about two cups

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 Tablespoons pure cane granulated sugar

3/4 cup cream

3 Tablespoons corn syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Optional: 1 Tablespoon Brandy or Grand Marnier

Place chopped chocolate in a bowl and set aside.

Place cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a small pot. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly. When it reaches a boil, pour directly over the chocolate and stir until all chocolate has melted. Add vanilla and brandy.

Use immediately or cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to two weeks. To reheat, heat the amount you need over a double boiler and stir until just melted.

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