So... I'm kind of a Wes Anderson fan, as some of you may have gathered from certain items in the shop. The Fantastic Mr. Fox which came out last year is one of his most creative and artistic movies thus far. I love it. My husband loves it. My baby loves it. If you haven't seen it yet, it comes highly recommended. And you can find some really fun behind-the-scenes stuff here.
The movie refers several times to "Mrs. Bean's Famous Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps," which are highly coveted cookies baked by a villainous wife. I admit they sound delicious, and seeing teenage boy foxes risk their lives for a bite or two convinced me they would be. As part of the behind-the-scenes fun on the official website for the movie, an original recipe of sorts was published for the enjoyment of the fans. Mario Batelli (who makes a cameo appearance as chef rabbit) created this recipe, so I was excited to try it. But... I was less than impressed with the results. I mean, maybe I did it wrong... but I remember thinking "If these snaps are famous, then they must have very different tastes on the farm."
After watching the movie again recently, I decided to give it another shot. Maybe someone else had amended the recipe. Made it better. Improved it. A little googling revealed that someone had! The recipe that I used for my second round is found here.
I was so excited when these nostalgic goodies came out of the oven - looking, smelling, and tasting delicious! The coveted cookie had been redeemed! They were quite enjoyable and didn't last long on the plate.
I think they would make a great addition to any recipe box. Fun for Thanksgiving, with a glass of cider. Or maybe just on a rainy day with a good movie - preferably a stop-motion flick about crafty animals looking for adventure... and the meaning of life. :)
