Treats for Santa

Are you—or someone at your house—worried that Santa might start feeling faint on his long midnight ride? I asked Mike Bennett, owner of Bennett’s Breads and Pastries, about what they leave out as a snack for Santa at his house.

“We leave out carrots and sugar cookies and a glass of milk. The carrots are for Rudolph, of course. My son is very concerned that the reindeer are tired and need some sustenance for such a long journey. And of course Dad has to get up in the middle of night to munch on everything to make it all convincing.

“We make our own sugar cookies, so I’m eating my own cooking. We do a snowman cookie, with a little icing, either in gingerbread or a sugar cookie. One year we left out soy milk, because [my son] was concerned that Santa might be lactose intolerant. He’s 10, and this may be the last year we do this—he’s hearing rumors about Santa’s existence.”