Publisher's Note Chocolate chip cookies are a true American delicacy: at the Toll House restaurant near Boston, Ruth Wakefield invented the very first 'toll house' cookies with chopped-up bits of a nestle's chocolate bar. Originally inspired by a contest to find the best cookies in the nation, 'The 47 Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World' spans the kitchens of America from Muskegon, Michigan, to Costa Mesa, California- and includes delectable tidbits of cookie lore. The only thing better than this book is a box of chocolate chip cookies!