I do not have an Aunt Sophia. I do, however, have a *mild* obsession with Halloween movies from the 90s. I’ll give you the recipe for the cinnamon cookies (and tell you which movie inspired them) but first, indulge me as I walk down memory lane and share my favorite Halloween movies from the real golden age of cinema.
- Hocus Pocus (1993)
If I had to pick only one Halloween movie to watch for the rest of my life, it would be Hocus Pocus. I can remember logging into ABC family’s website to download their “13 Nights of Halloween” programming schedule and frantically searching for the night this would air. In a pre-DVR, pre-streaming world, I had but one chance to try to capture the magic and record it on a VHS cassette. Did I record over my brother’s hockey game? Maybe. Did I enjoy every second of my “homemade” Hocus Pocus tape? Absolutely.
2. Earnest Scared Stupid (1991)
What can I even say about this weird and wonderful movie?So vivid are my memories of driving to blockbuster to rent this year after year, I can almost taste the Cheetos from the back seat. The legacy of this movie in my life is that I still cannot look under my bed at night, for fear of finding a hairy, milk-averse troll waiting to turn me into a wooden doll.
3. Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993)
Mary-Kate and Ashley blessed us with so much content in the 90s. In this movie, their great aunt Sophia has been locked away and cursed by her twin sister Agatha. In the end, the power of the young twins’ sibling bond unlocks the curse and Aunt Sophia is free to reunite with her love, bail the girls’ parents out of financial ruin, and make some of her famous cinnamon cookies again.
4. Casper (1995)
Everything about Casper is perfect to me. The setting: a dilapidated mansion in Maine. The characters: sweet-as-can-be Casper and his riotous uncles. 90s acting royalty Christina Ricci and Bill Pullman. The gorgeously haunting melodies of James Horner. The dialogue: “Can I keep you?”
It feels almost weird to call Casper a Halloween movie since I would genuinely watch it any time of year. Every time I watch, I’m struck by how a kids movie with characters named stinkie and fatso can also be a poignant and touching story about grief, loss, and friendship. Truly a classic.
5. Practical Magic (1998)
This is a new (to me) classic and I cannot believe it took me so long to find. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s so magical about this movie. I like the plot, but what I really love is how Sandra Bullock totally embodies the 90s witchy vibe. Also, her hot romance with the detective helps. I’ll definitely be adding this to my my Halloween canon and making midnight margaritas for many years to come.
Aunt Sophia's Cinnamon Cookies
Aunt Sophia’s Cinnamon Cookies
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanila extract
- 2 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
For topping
- 3 tbs granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until the mixture is lightened in color. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to mix until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the dry mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and continue to mix until the dough starts to come together. Turn the mixer off and finish pressing the dough together by hand to form a dough ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Roll out dough to 1/4” thickness and cut with any shape cookie cutter. Bake for 10-12 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool. When the cookies are still warm, combine cinnamon and sugar for topping and sprinkle over the tops of the cookies.
laretrorecipe.com 
I’ve searched EVERY SINGLE YEAR for cinnamon cookies from double double since the internet has been around and have never found a recipe đŸ˜đŸ˜ thank you for sharing!!
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Haha that’s too funny! Your persistence paid off ( :
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