“Amok amok amok amok!” – Sarah in Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus is my favorite Halloween movie. I remember watching it when it first came out in 1993 when I was 12 years old. It was magical. Those houses on the fall tree lined streets were picture perfect to me. All I really wanted was to have a cute house on that street and hand out candy on Halloween to kids. Minus all the spooky witches of course. And apparently I am not alone, if you check out Twitter you can just follow #HocusPocus and see how many people adore the film. If you have never seen it, I hope you rent it this Halloween season!

So in celebration of my fave Halloween movie night, I whipped up some easy Hocus Pocus approved snacks, including these Run Amok Pumpkin Cookies with bits of everything in each sweet pumpkin-y bite…

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My Hocus Pocus Menu

* “Run Amok!” Pumpkin Cookies – tender sweet pumpkin cookies loaded with crazy goodies.
* Allison’s Easy Apple Cider – Easy lemon-y ginger cider with accents of cinnamon and star anise.
* Billy’s Zombie Corn – Ghoulishly green popcorn with savory sweet flavors.

My second batch of cookies that I tested (pictured below) baked up a bit fluffier. (I always try to test baking recipes a few times and make subtle tweaks if needed.) I liked this fluffy texture a bit more so I put that recipe below.

The recipes!..

Billy’s Zombie Corn
makes 5 cups
5 cups popped popcorn (I did a coconut oil popped batch on my stovetop – like this recipe)
1/2 tsp spirulina
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp sea salt
pinch of cayenne
optional: drizzle of 1/2 tsp maple syrup

Directions: Simply toss the popcorn with the spirulina, salt, cayenne and nutritional yeast. Add maple if desired. The maple adds a nice sweet accent, but does moisten the popcorn slightly.

Allison’s Easy Apple Cider
4 servings
2 organic apples, cored and chopped
1 lemon, juiced
24 ounces water
1-2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger powder
2-3 tsp raw ginger, peeled
1 star anise

Directions: Blend all the ingredients except the star anise in a high speed blender, from low to high, for 2-3 minutes or until the liquid is smooth. Pour the mixture into a small sauce pot, add the star anise. Bring to a boil and the reduce to a simmer. Simmer for a few minutes before serving.

Hocus Pocus Memory.. I remember the first time I watched it, there is that early scene with Max and Allison where she is leaving school and hands him a piece of paper, then puts on her red hood and waltzes off under the fall trees. I remember thinking, “I bet she is a witch!” Well I was way off, but I still love that I have those first-viewing memories with me.

And finally, the cookies!..

Some more fun, these Today Show interviews with the witches from 1993..

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