Nothing says autumnal baking like a batch of warming spiced biscuits. Inspired by Mrs. Bean’s famous nutmeg ginger apple snaps in Fantastic Mr. Fox, these delicious bites of crunchy sweetness have just the right amount of spice to warm the cockles of your heart on any chilly fall afternoon. Spices at the ready, let’s bake some biscuits.

Contents

• The Bake
• Top Tips
• The YouTube Video
• The Recipe
• The Film
• Recipe Card

The Bake

Ginger. Nutmeg. Apple. It’s such a delightful – and seasonal – flavour combination. How could I not indulge?

Fantastic Mr. Fox features in my Fall Movie Bucket List for many reasons. The colour palette alone is enough to make any audience member feel ready to wrap up in a blanket and snuggle up with a cup of tea and… oh, I don’t know… a ginger apple snap in hand.

This lovely stop motion adventure features a lot of food – it’s a pretty integral driving theme in the story. Most of which is savoury, with the odd exception, like Mrs. Bean’s famous nutmeg ginger apple snaps.

Having made my own version of these biscuits, I can completely understand why Ash and Kristofferson couldn’t resist.

This recipe gives you room to customise the size of your nutmeg ginger apple snaps.

As with my version of lembas bread, you can make these scrumptious ginger apple snaps smaller or larger, depending on your preference. I made my biscuits a little larger because I wanted to make sure this recipe can cater for different sizes.

They’re a decent size in the movie – perhaps even slightly larger than expected when in the paws of a certain duo of young foxes.

No matter what size you decide, they are delicious.

Spice and snap are everything with these nutmeg ginger apple snaps.

As you have probably deduced, the main spices involved are nutmeg and ginger. The amounts I have written for each spice in the recipe create a really lovely blend and a balanced flavour.

Up the quantities and you’ll be munching on a very spicy biscuit. Just so you know.

To make sure I would achieve a great snap and crunchy texture with these nutmeg ginger apple snaps, I adapted this recipe for ginger snaps by Waitrose.

They truly are such a tasty treat to enjoy during the autumnal season!

Top Tips

• This recipe makes 6 large nutmeg ginger apple snaps or 12 regular sized ones. You can absolutely double or even triple the ingredients for a larger yield. No extra maths required!
• Size wise, go for what suits your needs and/or preferences best. The dough is very forgiving, so don’t be afraid to go off piste. 
• If preferred, you can substitute the honey for maple syrup or golden syrup. Just be mindful that both of these alternatives are likely to increase the sweetness level of the biscuits.
• Slice the apple as thinly as you can (just not paper thin!). It allows the slices to bake with the biscuits and gives you a great hit of fruity sweetness.
• The measurements for the spices that I have included in this recipe achieve a really flavourful balance. I would advise against adding more, based on the fact that I did make my first batch of these nutmeg ginger apple snaps really spicy!
• If you prefer spiced biscuits a little less… spicy, then simply reduce each spice by ½ tsp.
• These biscuits don’t need chilling before baking. They will likely be pretty soft once out of the oven, but leave them to cool completely on the trays and they will harden into delicious apple snaps before you know it.
• Add a little extra to your cooled biscuits by lightly dusting over some icing sugar and spraying with silver edible glitter!

I love how easy these nutmeg ginger apple snaps are to make. Enjoy them with a cup of tea or hot chocolate and you’ll be feeling all the warm and fuzzy feels in no time. As far as movie snacks go, these particular biscuits are just the ticket for any Fantastic Mr. Fox movie night or themed party. Enjoy!

Happy baking, happy eating!

The YouTube Video

The Recipe

Ingredients

Nutmeg ginger apple snaps:

• 75g [2.75 oz] unsalted butter
• 75g [¼ cup + 2 tbsp] light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp runny honey
• 100g [½ cup + 2 tbsp] self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 – 2 apples of your choice
• Icing [confectioners] sugar for lightly dusting  optional
• Silver edible glitter   optional

Makes: 12 small biscuits or 6 large (as photographed)

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Baking time: 12 – 15 minutes

Method

Nutmeg ginger apple snaps:

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C [370°F ] or 170°C fan. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper/baking parchment. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the honey and beat in.
4. Sieve in the flour, then add the bicarbonate of soda, ginger and nutmeg. Mix everything together until a dough has formed.
5. Split the mixture into 12 equal sized balls. They will be pretty small but they will spread and rise in the oven! Place 6 balls on each lined tray.
6. Press the balls gently into disc shapes.
7. Cut the apples into thin slices and place a slice on the top of each biscuit disc.
8. Bake on the middle shelves for 12 – 15 minutes, until golden. They will likely be a little soft after the allotted time but will harden as they cool. Once baked, leave to continue baking on the trays and then leave to cool before enjoying.

These scrumptious nutmeg ginger apple snaps are the perfect sweet treat for your autumnal movie night, especially if Fantastic Mr. Fox is on the schedule. They are best enjoyed on the day, but will last for up to 1 week in an airtight container, unless the fox cubs in your house snuffle them up. Be mindful that they will soften over time. 

The uncooked dough can be frozen: flatten the balls into discs then stack with baking parchment/greaseproof paper in between to prevent them from freezing together. Just be sure to bake for an extra 3 – 4 minutes from frozen.

The Film

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Wes Anderson is one of my top five directors. His use of symmetry, deliberately coordinated colour palettes and sharp humour make him a master of the art.

Combine his stylistic filmmaking with a Roald Dahl classic and you have a recipe for a winner. It’s also a stop motion animation, which makes it all the more impressive – and oddly satisfying – to watch.

Released in 2009, Fantastic Mr. Fox became one of a growing number of Roald Dahl film adaptations.

Thanks to Wes Anderson’s vision and the artistry of the team of filmmakers that worked on this movie, it’s a standout adaptation that is lasting the test of time.

Anderson both directed and co-wrote this book to screen adaptation. Alongside him on screenplay duties was Noah Baumbach. 

As has become the norm with Wes Anderson movies; this production hosted a stellar cast. The likes of Meryl Streep; George Clooney, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Sir Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Helen McCrory, Owen Wilson and more all gave their voices to the mischievous crew of Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Once a mischievous farm raider, now a married fox with a young son to look after, Mr. Fox finds himself drawn back to his previous ways in the hope of providing a better life for his family.

But when the farmers set out to put a stop to his antics, Mr. Fox has to pull out all the stops to secure the survival of his family and friends.

It’s a family film, honest.

If you loved the aesthetic of this movie and haven’t seen Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs (2018), I highly recommend giving it a watch.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a great autumnal movie either just as a chill viewing, or as part of a family movie night. Grab your blankets and hot chocolates. Oh, and don’t forget the nutmeg ginger apple snaps!

Recipe Card