Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Did you know Canada.. my next recipe for #CanadianCookies is my FAMOUS Chocolate Chip Cookies!! These are a huge hit at every family event, everyone asks for them all the time.

Don't shy away from the amount of flour and vanilla in this recipe (it's more than any other cookie recipe I've seen) - but this dough is awesome, easy to work with, not runny, this makes the biggest, yummiest cookies ever.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1 stick butter, softened
1/2C shortening
1C sugar
1C brown sugar
2 eggs
2T vanilla
3 1/4C flour
1t baking soda
1t salt
bag of chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients including chocolate chips. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Photos

I made these today (Nov 13th), so yummy! A perfect Sunday treat.

Mix everything together..

Roll them into balls..

Cook them up and you are golden, so yummy..

Make a Wish Foundation

Did you know Canada.. Last night, @MultiTestingMom and I co-hosted #CanadianCookies Twitter party! If you came, thank you so much for coming and we hope you had a blast like we did. If you missed it, we are so sorry that you did. Many great tips, recipe ideas and memories were shared last night. Thank you!

One of our sponsors, @PamperedPatty, a Pampered Chef Consultatnt has kindly offered to host an online Pampered Chef Party where ANYONE can purchase Pampered Chef items and all of the proceeds will go to Children's Make a Wish Foundation this Holiday Season.

I encourage you to browse through Pampered Patty's Online Pampered Chef Catelogue (if you have any questions, please ask!) and no doubt you will come across many items that you may want as gifts and items that you would like to give to others. Please order your items when on our #CanadianCookies Page to be sure that you order counts towards the Children's Wish Foundation Fundraiser!

If you need any suggestions, may I recommend Pampered Chef Stoneware?! It is top quality, it lasts forever and WOW does it ever bake evenly! No more brown bottoms on cookies, just perfectly baked cookies to perfection! I'm going to be shopping for some new spatula's as well, if you were at last nights party you might remember my admitting I broke all of mine. Time to look for some quality pieces!

Purchase
"Pampered Chef Products" to raise $ for Children's Wish Foundation this Holiday Season! It's a win-win situation!

Thank you, @PamperedPatty for your amazing generosity! You are so kind, giving and thoughtful! This is what the magic of the holidays is all about!

#CanadianCookies: The Cookie Exchange!

Did you know Canada.. This post has been written as part of #CanadianCookies Blog Event. To find out more about the event, please click on the button below. You can even link up your favourite recipes!

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This is what both Did You Know Canada and Multi-Testing Mommy have been most excited about during this entire Blog Event called #CanadianCookes: The Cookie Exchange!

Have you ever participated in a Cookie Exchange at work or amongst friends? Well, we have decided to host a Cookie Exchange over the internet AND in real life.

How to participate:

• You must be Canadian (in order to keep shipping costs as low as possible.
• You must be willing to bake and put in the mail a small cookie package to the person whom you are assigned to by December 1st, 2011
• You must include the recipe that you baked in your package
• You must "e-sign" a waiver at the bottom of the sign up form
• Have FUN!
• Watch your email on November 18th to discover who your #CanadianCookies Exchange Buddy is

#CanadianCookies Hard Candy!

Did you know Canada.. Hard Candy is a REALLY cool cosmetic company that is available in Walmarts across Canada. Known for providing beauty with attitude, Hard Candy is flying off the shelves around Canada. With bold colours, huge range of products and more, I won't even tell you how many of their products I already own (it's A LOT!).

Check out the amazing prizes one Twitter Party goer is going to win this coming Wednesday!!


Eye Candy sparkle cream eyeshadow & glitter eyeliner - Modern and creative glitter infused cream shadow


Outrageously Delicious flavoured body powder - Sinfully delicious powder is sparkly and lusciously scented




Visibly Wet shockingly glossy lip pencil - These sheer lip pencils are all you need to get dazzling lips



Eye Def glitter eyeshadow - Coverage and sparkle in one application that lasts all day






Walk the Line liquid eyeliner - This superior formula won't budge, even under the most strenuous conditions



From a company with an awesome reputation of providing well made and really cool cosmetics, one party goer is going to be VERY happy!  Make sure you RSVP for our Twitter Party today!  Get your Holiday Recipes out and add them to our #CanadianCookies Blog Hop as well!!  See you Wednesday!

#CanadianCookies ONS GEAR

Did you know Canada.. ONS GEAR is THE Innovative Children's Company. Proud parentpreneurs, Michael and Crystal are dedicated to making children's and parents' lives easier, one innovative product at a time. One of our favourite products it their original innovative product - MITT-ONS. Check our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide soon for a feature on MITTS-ONS and why they would make the PERFECT gift.




For our upcoming Twitter Party one lucky party goer will be winning 2 packs of Cookie Safes from their amazing INNO SHOP!

This Made in Canada product is specially designed to hold the most popular brands of pre-wrapped single serving rice rusks, bars, cookies, crackers, etc. Created to take up as little space as possible in your bag, while helping to ensure that when you want to offer your little one a snack, you can actually give them one and not crumbs! Love it!! Why did I not have this when my boys were eating rice rusks two years ago?!

Visit ONS GEAR INNO SHOP for more awesome innovations that will leaving you saying "Ah, that's so smart! Why didn't I think of that?"

See you Wednesday for the Twitter Party - make sure you RSVP!!

Recipe: Toffee Spread

Did you know Canada.. I'm seeing a trend in my recipe posts, you must know by now I love toffee treats! This one is no exception. Originally from an old "Curling Club Ladies" recipe book of my Gramma's and I saw a similar recipe once on Pioneer Women, this must be an old fashion treat but I'm bring it back!!!

Toffee Spread

Ingredients
1C butter, softened
1 egg
1C brown sugar (packed)
2C flour
2t vanilla
1 pkg chocolate chips

Directions
Cream butter and sugar, mix in egg, flour and vanilla. Spread thinly on pan (hence the name I guess) (don't get too thin on the edge though or it will burn, depending on your cookie sheet size it's not likely to fill whole pan). I know you're going to be all this is WEIRD girl, but trust me, it's yummy!! Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350. Remove pan from oven and layer with chocolate chips. Return to oven for 1 minute so they melt (they won't look melted), pull out and spread the chocolate around. These freezer great so can be made ahead of time!

#CanadianCookies Amusing Treats

Did you know Canada.. I would love to introduce you to another one of our #CanadianCookies twitter party sponsors - Amusing Treats!

In business since May of 2009, Amusing Treats makes delicous brownies and cookies with your company logo, picture, wording and more. Imagine getting a party invitation on a brownie, how AWESOME would that be?

Owner Sharon Muse has been baking for the last 20 years to perfect her treats. Her brownies and sugar cookies are made from scratch in small batches to ensure perfection. Brownies are individually hand cut then dipped in white chocolate and topped with your image on edible icing paper. The sugar cookies are hand rolled and covered with a delicious homemade fondant then topped with your edible image.

We recently tried them and everyone in the family absolutely loved them! They were very fresh, tasty, lots of fun to have the picture on top - these would be a really special treat for any occasion!

One lucky Twitter party goer will win a dozen of her custom brownies or cookies - what a treat!!

Recipe: Butter Tarts

Did you know Canada.. Butter Tarts are a Canadian favourite, in fact, considered one of only a few recipes of genuinely Canadian origin. The earliest published Canadian recipe is from Barrie, Ontario dating back to 1900 and can be found in The Women’s Auxiliary of the Royal Victoria Hospital Cookbook - how cool is that! You won't see any crazy raisins or walnuts in my recipe either, just pure Butter Tarts baby! ;-)

Butter Tarts

Ingredients
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1C corn syrup
1C sugar
1/4C melted butter
1t vanilla
24 frozen tart shells (yes, yes, many of you are fancier than me and can make your own tart shells)

Directions
Combine ingredients. Pour filling into tart shells - 1/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Photos
Everyone was very interested in this Great Canadian Treat, so I've made them this morning and want to share the process with you!

gather your simple ingredients, find the corn syrup by the maple syrup at the grocery store..

lightly beat your eggs ( I'm really not 100% on what that means, I just wisked them a bit :-) )..

melt your butter in the microwave or on the stove..

combine all ingredients..

mix it all together..

lay out your frozen tart shells and let them defrost for 5 minutes or so, or get fancy and make your own (I can not help you with that!!)..

fill your tarts with the mix, I know the recipe says fill 1/3 full but I just filled them using all the mix, do NOT try to fill them to the very tippy top though or you will have a very terrible oven mess..

after 25 minutes they were out of the oven..

and look (and taste) delish!!

#CanadianCookies DK Canada

Did you know Canada.. I wanted to introduce you to one of our sponsors for our #CanadianCookies Twitter Party!!!

DK Canada is the visionary publisher renowned for pioneering a distinctive, highly visual style in its books for adults and children. In the past we've showcased their Eyewitness Travel Guides, Rough Guides series and Pregnancy books. Keep an eye on our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide section where we will be showcasing some of their fantastic books that would make perfect gifts!

During our #CanadianCookies Twitter Party one lucky party goer will win a copy of DK Canada's fabulous Illustrated Step-by-Step Baking book!

As you know, I am a HUGE DK Canada fan, their books are beautiful! Filled with gorgeous images, easy to read and family friendly, they are a company you can always trust to provide quality books no matter what you're looking for.

Every area of baking is covered in Illustrated Step-by-Step Baking, with 350 recipes covering a huge range of sweet and savory classics including quiches, pies, breads, and cookies. Classic recipes such as quiche lorraine and New York cheesecake are demystified and presented in a clear and accessible step-by-step format.

One lucky party goer is going to be very happy, perfect for the upcoming Holiday Season!!

Recipe: Skor Toffee Squares

Did you know Canada.. here is my first recipe to share with your during our #CanadianCookies hop, I hope you enjoy!! This is a huge family favourite around here! The best part is that you can whip it up from start to finish in 15 minutes! Perfect for that surprise holiday visitor or running out to a holiday party after work.

Skor Toffee Squares

Ingredients
1 Box Ritz crackers, crushed (or saltines)
1 Can Eagle Brand
1 Pkg Skor toffee bits

Directions
Mix the ingredients & put in an 8x8 pan. Bake at 325 until slightly brown, about 8-10 minutes.

#CanadianCookies Blog Hop

Did you know Canada.. welcome to the first in a series of posts to start off #CanadianCookies!!

We'd like everyone to join us in a Blog Hop!

Dig out Gramma's recipe book, search the web for your favourites, what is YOUR Holiday treat speciality??? I'll be introducing you to some of my favourite recipes and would love to read about some of yours!

Write a post and link up below so we can share our best recipes and wow our families this year!! Use the hashtag #CanadianCookies when promoting your post on Twitter so we can find you there as well.

Remember to check out your hosts daily (Did you know Canada and Multi-testing Mommy) we'll be sharing tips, tricks, recipes and more for the next 2 weeks! Be sure to join us for our upcoming twitter party as well!!

Link up here and be sure to check back for new treats daily:

#CanadianCookies RSVP!

Do you love to bake? Are you getting excited about the upcoming Holiday Season?

Did You Know Canada and Multi-Testing Mommy are excited about baking for the Holiday Season!

All About #CanadianCookies:

• Reviews of various baking related products.
• A recipe link up.
• Recipes for Holiday Baking
• #CanadianCookies Twitter Party

RSVP Now for #CanadianCookies Twitter Party

About #CanadianCookies Twitter Party:

When: Wednesday November 9, 2011 8-10pm EST
Who: Open to ANYONE but prizes are only available to CANADIANS
Hashtag: #CanadianCookies
Hosts: @DiduKnowCanada and @MultiTestingMom
Topic: Twitter Party for Canadians who would like to chat about baking and the holidays. We can share tips, recipe ideas and more!

And yes! We have some amazing sponsors who have kindly donated prizes for this event!

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Prize: A dozen custom brownies or sugar cookies
Twitter: @AmusingTreats
Facebook: Amusing Treats Fan Page
Website: Amusing Treats

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Prize: Company's Coming Cookies Cookbook (x2)
Twitter: n/a
Facebook: Company's Coming
Website: http://www.companyscoming.com

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Prize: Hard Candy Cosmetics Prize Pack including..
* Outrageously Delicious flavoured body powder
* Visibly Wet shockingly glossy lip pencil
* Eye Def glitter eyeshadow
* Walk the Line liquid eyeliner
* Eye Candy sparkle cream eyeshadow & glitter eyeliner
Twitter: @HeresHardCandy
Facebook: Hard Candy Fan Page
Website: www.hardcandy.com

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Prize: "Illustrated Step by Step Baking" book
Twitter: @DKCanada
Facebook: DK Canada Fan Page
Website: DK Canada

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Prize: Biodegradable Dishwashing Liquid, Netted Dish Cloth, Norwex Antibac Tea Towel Set
Twitter: @MandyNorwex
Facebook: Mandy Knows Norwex Fan Page
Website: https://mandykuelz.norwex.biz

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Prize: Snow Globe Cookie Kit (Crayola) (x3) and Holiday Train Kit (Rice Krispies Treats) (x3)
Twitter: @MyMyselfUsInc
Facebook: Me Myself & Us Inc.
Website: http://www.memyselfandus.ca

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Prize: 2-pack of "Cookie Safes" (one prize)
Twitter: @onsgear
Facebook: ONS Fan Page
Website: ONS Gear

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Prize: Pampered Chef Cookie Press
Twitter: @pamperedpatty
Facebook: Pampered Patty Fan Page
Website: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/patriciaoliver

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Here is what do you need to do to take part:
* R.S.V.P. by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.
* Join us on Twitter on Wednesday November 9, 2011 at 8pm EST.
* When taking part in the party, use the hashtag #CanadianCookies (and be sure to put Q# and @diduknowcanada or @multitestingmom in your tweets when answering questions)
* While anyone is welcome to stop in for a chat, the prizes are available to Canadian residents only who have filled out the RSVP form.

If you've never taken part in a Twitter party before, don't panic. It's very simple. You can check out this post Multi-Testing Mommy wrote on How to Take Participate in a Twitter Party for some pointers.

To R.S.V.P. simply fill out the Rafflecopter widget below. The first ten steps (following both hosts and each sponsor on Twitter or Facebook) are mandatory and you need to complete them to be eligible to win. After that there are a few bonus entry options, such as Tweet about the Twitter Party, post our button on your blog, or write a blog post about the party. These are optional entries, but we sure would love if you'd help to spread the word. If you have any questions, or problems with filling out the form, feel free to contact me and I'd be happy to help.