E Coli in raw cookie dough...shocking!!!

Nestle USA recalled all of their refrigerated cookie dough, because of a small outbreak of E Coli among people who ate the raw dough. Last time I checked this was why our mothers told us not to eat raw cookie dough in the first place. Raw cookie dough has eggs in it. Eggs, especially eggs from giant egg farms, have a high chance of carrying E Coli. (In case you've never run into a chicken or an egg before, you should probably be aware that chickens have the eggs and then they walk around and most likely will at one time or another poop on the egg. This happened in the nice big chicken coop my dad built with 5 chickens. Imagine the chances of it happening in the confined quarters of chicken farms. Chicken poo carries diseases like E Coli. The diseases can't actually go though the shell of the egg, but by cracking the egg there is a good possibility that somewhere the disease will get in the egg.)

I don't know who thought that eating raw cookie dough was a good idea. I do find it yummy on occasion, but it really is a "do at your own risk" type of behavior. For anyone out there who's mother never taught them that raw eggs can carry bacteria, I am telling you now; RAW EGGS CARRY DISEASES, so no more shocked looks when you are in the bathroom for the rest of the day after licking that brownie batter bowl.

The FDA and Nestle admitted that the possible E Coli in the cookie dough would die if baked. They recalled it anyway just to be safe and to make sure that no one handled the dough and without properly washing off spoons or hands went to prepare other food, causing the other food to become contaminated.

I hope this disaster because of raw eggs in cookie dough does not make you less fond of cookies. I actually prefer warm soft cookies to raw cookie dough, but I guess if you're that impatient then please realize that you are taking a risk.

All of this cookie talk has made me starving for cookies. Here is the original Nestle Tollhouse cookie recipe. Maybe to all of you cookie dough fans just bake them soft, so you don't feel like you're missing too much disease ridden action.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks, 1/2 pound) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups (12-ounce package) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 cup chopped nuts (I never use the nuts but I guess you could)

Cream the butter and sugars. Add in the eggs one at a time. Mix the dry ingredients and pour into the butter, sugar, egg mixture. Mix all together and add the chocolate chips and nuts if you want. Scoop on to nongreased sheet trays. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Remember cookies keep baking while they're on the sheet tray out of the oven. Don't over bake them, because then they will be really hard once they cool. if they are overbaked remove them from the pan immediately so they don't keep baking.

Happy Eating!!!

Emily