I thought it would be difficult to find a typical recipe to represent Antarctica, or even a recipe that had actually been made in Antarctica. In addition, Antarctica is not officially a county, but since it is a continent and a very big place I felt it deserved a recipe entry. While searching the internet, I found this recipe for Sally Ayotte’s Antarctic Chocolate Chip Cookies on the Quark Expeditions blog. I travelled to Antarctica in December 2017 with Quark Expeditions, and can fully recommend the experience and also the food on-board the boat. The chefs presented us daily with meals reminiscent of a luxury cruise. Now I wish I had some of those recipes, too!
The recipe in this post has been modified slightly based on my experience with baking the Antarctic Chocolate Chip Cookies in London. The end result was appreciated by local friends so it is definitely one to make again.
Ingredients
1 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup white chocolate chips
2/3 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup nuts, chopped (I used pecans and cashews)
Instructions
1) First, cream the butter and the two kinds of sugar.
2) Now add the eggs and the vanilla.
3) In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Then add to the sugar/butter/egg mixture and blend until a soft dough forms.
4) Add the chips and the chopped nuts.
5) Drop the dough by large teaspoons onto baking sheets lined with grease-proof paper, about two inches apart.
6) Bake at 375 degrees (180 C for fan oven) for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the bottom edges are lightly browned.
Modifications: I didn’t have margarine so I used only butter, and I added slightly more flour to make the dough firmer. And I used pecans and cashews instead of the peanuts and cashews recommended in the original recipe. I also suggest to use grease-proof paper rather than greasing the pans with butter, as that can start to burn and change the taste.
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