Every now and then, you can’t resist making an impulse purchase at the grocery store. I know I’m not alone, and I’m pretty sure the marketing companies for some of our favorite snacks as kids know that fact, too. Nintendo isn’t the only one who hooks us in with nostalgia bait!

If you’ve been following us on Couch Bandits, you may have seen Nick Snow’s post about Wild Berry Pop-Tarts. He’s not the only one who loves Wild Berry Pop-Tarts—in fact, it’s my favorite flavor and design. Something about it transports me back to the old days, when I was a kid waking up on the weekends to watch Saturday morning cartoons.

And speaking of cartoons, you may have also seen Connor’s post: What We’re Watching: Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated. Growing up, Scooby-Doo was one of my favorite characters, and that post really made me reminisce about being a kid. And so, the stage was set with the ultimate nostalgia play: As soon as I walked by the Pillsbury Scooby-Doo Sugar Cookies, I knew I had to try them again to relive my love of both the cartoon and one of my favorite childhood snacks.

The Unwrapping

I can’t lie: Jamie and I were beyond excited to get home and immediately eat these cookies. That day, we were starving, which everyone knows is the worst time to go grocery shopping, so we were absolutely craving these sugar cookies.

The pure nostalgia of seeing the box design only increased that craving. Everyone knows that feeling you get when you think about a TV show you grew up watching or a video game you played with your friends as kids. You have such fond memories associated with the TV show or video game, but then, you go back and watch or play them again, and it doesn’t quite feel the same.

It’s kind of sad when you think about it that way, but it’s almost like you want to keep that memory untarnished in your head. You don’t want to risk spoiling it by realizing what garbage taste you had as a kid…but there’s also something admirable about that childlike wonder of being able to appreciate something not based on its quality but based on the experience you cultivate around it.

And that’s something we really want to do with Couch Bandits: We want to tap into that childlike wonder and be able to highlight the great parts of the media we experience. Beyond that, we’ll still have a good time playing a not-so-great video game, because we’re just hanging out and having fun spending time together! I know that sounds lame, but I hope we can share that feeling with all of you.

But enough about that, let’s get to the cookie eating!!!

The Baking

Before we dive into taste, let’s talk about the Scooby-Doo cookie design. Just look at it. If you’re like me, it elicits an immediate flood of memories from childhood. My brother and I used to love these cookies when Mom made them!

In my adult eyes, though, the design isn’t quite as spectacular as I remember. He looks a little wonky, reminiscent of the Sonic the Hedgehog ice cream bar. But regardless, I love it. It looks like Scooby-Doo if you squint hard enough, so that’s good enough for me!

As far as taste goes, there’s not much to write home about, either. The flavor is exactly what you’d expect a sugar cookie to taste like: sugar and dough. Nothing fancy!

But that’s not where this late-night snack ended. I also dug out two character-themed plastic cups featuring some spooky Scooby-Doo designs. Perfect for a little milk to accompany the cookies!

BOO! The Second Round of Cookies

That’s right, we didn’t just buy one batch of Halloween-themed cookies, we bought TWO. The second box, as you can see below, was a batch of Pillsbury Ghost-Shaped Sugar Cookies, another childhood snack staple.

I almost prefer the design of the cookie ghost to the Scooby-Doo one. I know, very controversial, but just look at these little spirits stuck in the dimension between life and death:

And now, here’s a picture of our dish towel:

And finally, the ultimate reveal:

These cookies tasted exactly the same as the Scooby-Doo ones. No surprise there. But overall, Jamie and I had a fun time baking these and taking pictures. It was a great way to get in the Halloween spirit, too!

I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane—without all the calories (I’m still working them off as I write this…another downfall of growing up). Oh, and one last thing: