“Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap”.

Autumn.  It ignites a child-like spark in me.  Memories of candy apples, walking under bright orange maple leaves slowly tumbling to the ground in the crisp air.  Today is the Autumn Equinox, nightfall comes earlier.  It’s “stew season” as I like to call it.  I’m in my warm kitchen, candles lit and the scent of cinnamon and spice fill the air.  I’m baking Mrs. Bean’s Ginger Apple Snap Cookies from the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox.  If you’ve  seen it you’ll know all about them.  

Ginger Apple Snap Cookies

Makes 14 cookies 

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon plus more for topping if desired
• 1 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• a pinch of ground cloves
• a pinch of salt
• 1 cups butter softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoons molasses
• 1/2 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 2 gala apples
• Coarse sugar like turbinado or sparkly sprinkles (I mixed red crystal sprinkles with sugar)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until light.
• Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and fresh ginger and beat until fluffy.
• Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until fully blended.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix with your hands to create the dough.
• Roll 2-3 Tablespoons of dough into balls and use your hand or I used the bottom of a small measuring cup to flatten them on the prepared cookie sheet about ¼ inch high and 2 inches apart. I only did 1/2 of the dough as I didn’t need 14 cookies (the rest of the dough was frozen for another day).
• Slice the apples thinly as you can (crosswise so you can see the star of the core in the middle) and press slices firmly into the center of each cookie. Sprinkle coarse sugar and extra cinnamon evenly over cookies to coat, making sure to cover the edges.
• Bake for 25  minutes or until the edges are golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with more sugar, if desired, and sparkle sprinkles. Let cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Once they’d cooled I served myself a cup of chocolate almond milk, 2 cookies and sat down to enjoy an Autumnal movie.   These cookies hold all the spicy flavours of Fall, you must try them.

With love from my kitchen,

Jennifer