Mrs. Fields, the worldwide brand known for delectable, freshly baked cookies right out the oven, is celebrating its 40th anniversary on National Cookie Day by giving away their famous cookies December 4. The first 400 fans in every Mrs. Fields nationwide will receive a free regular-sized chocolate chip cookie to help commemorate the cookie empire Debbi Fields built in 1977.

Founder Debbi Fields realized her knack for baking as a ball girl for the Oakland Athletic’s baseball team in 1969 as she continuously baked cookies for fans, leading to a milk-and-cookie break during games for all to enjoy her treats. She saved her paychecks to buy better ingredients, making her cookies so delicious that fans took a liking to them and noticed the difference. In 1977, at the age of 20, Debbi Fields opened a flagship cookie shop, Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chippery, in Palo Alto, California, to sell her beloved cookies. The Mrs. Fields name quickly became associated with warm, freshly baked cookies right out of the oven.

Today, Mrs. Fields enjoys the highest aided brand awareness in the industry and sells products at over 200 retail locations globally and online, taking over the world one cookie at a time. In addition to the in-store promotion, Mrs. Fields has created an online collection that will be up to 40 percent off in honor of the anniversary celebration, featuring a variety of holiday and signature cookie packages. Chocolate chip cookie aficionados can take advantage of Mrs. Fields’ bestselling 60 Nibbler Signature Tin for $23.99 online on December 4, which originally retails for $39.99, while supplies last.

“After 40 years, you can still taste the passion, real ingredients and authenticity with every bite,” says Dustin Lyman, CEO of Mrs. Fields. “We’ve enjoyed keeping the fresh baked tradition alive and sharing Debbi’s world-famous cookies with fans since 1977 and look forward to continued growth and success in the foreseeable future.”