Fantastic Mr. Fox’s Fantastic Cookies

As I scrolled through my never-ending feed on Tik Tok, I came across a video of someone who replicated the cookies from one of my favorite movies, Fantastic Mr. Fox, directed by Wes Anderson. I hadn’t watched the movie in such a long time, so when I saw the Tik Tok, a rush of nostalgia crashed over me and I just knew I had to recreate the cookies on my own. Given that it’s officially been a year since I started as a student at UCSC, I decided it would be fitting to treat myself to something special.

Since I’ve been sheltering in place for more than six months within my hometown, I’ve felt somewhat constrained in comparison to the freedom I had when I was a college student living on campus. I remember gaining a sense of independence and autonomy in the choices I made for myself. I was truly growing and cultivating the future I wanted for myself with the power derived from being on my own. Now that I’m at home, it seems I’ve reverted back to who I was before college. 

Before college, I was confined within an environment which repressed my growth and expression. Thrown back into that environment as of now, I’m starting to feel the effects of it wearing me down. Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than grateful that I have a space to safely shelter for a long period of time and I’m immensely grateful for my family and my friends who are nearby. That said, I find myself too often reminiscing about my experiences at college and the amazing people I met there. 

So, in order to regain a sense of autonomy, I’ve gone to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, I’ve found a new surgence of independence as I’m able to create tangible pieces of my accomplishments in the form of desserts and pastries. I feel as if I’m the Fairy Godmother of baking, bibbidi-bobbidi-doing-whatever-I-want. As I’ve perfected the recipe for banana bread, I’ve found yet another recipe to add to my arsenal: Mrs. Bean’s Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps from Fantastic Mr. Fox. 

The recipe I’ve been using: 

Mrs. Bean’s Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps from The Live-In Kitchen

https://theliveinkitchen.com/lolas-third-birthday-with-nutmeg-ginger-apple-snaps-and-a-fantastic-mr-fox-cake/ 

If you’re a person who likes to watch instead of read recipes:

Tik Tok from @jalencraig 

https://www.tiktok.com/@jalenlcraig/video/6882785395201936646?lang=en 

Here are the ingredients from the recipe posted above:

• 2 cups unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 6 Tablespoons brown sugar

• 2 Tablespoons molasses* 

• 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger root, grated

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

• 1 pinch ground cloves

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1 pinch salt

• 4 gala apples**

• Organic refined sugar and cake sparkles for sprinkling

*If you don’t have molasses like me, I use ½ cup of brown sugar mixed with ½ cup of honey

**I personally prefer Honey Crisp apples as it’s my favorite apple, but you’re free to use whichever apple type you prefer

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

2. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until light. If you don’t have an electric mixer, that’s fine, I was able to manually mix the butter.

3. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, molasses, grated fresh ginger, ground ginger, cinnamon, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and cloves and beat on medium speed until fully blended. I also manually folded the mixture just to make sure all of the ingredients were fully incorporated. 

4. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three parts, carefully and on low speed, until the ingredients are fully blended.

5. Roll 2-3 Tablespoons of dough into balls and use your hand to flatten them on the prepared cookie sheet about 1/4 inch high and 2 inches apart. Slice the apples as thinly as you can and press slices firmly into the center of each cookie. Sprinkle coarse sugar evenly over cookies to coat, making sure to cover the edges. 

6. Bake 15-25 minutes or until the edges are golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with more sugar, if desired, and cake sparkles. Let cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

If you tried this recipe, send us a DM of how your cookies look on our instagram @hercampusucsc!

• cookies
• cozy
• holiday baking
• independence