Cookie Treats for Santa

Help Santa fuel up for the long journey ahead by baking some extra-special treats to leave for him on Christmas Eve. These recipes are sure to leave you on Santa's nice list. Make a batch of these homemade sugar cookies and decorate them one day while the kids are out of school.

Recipe: Lemon-Frosted Sugar Cookies

Start with refrigerated sugar cookie dough to make these adorable reindeer-face cookies. The kids can help shape the cookie dough and place the eyes, mouth, and antlers. Only four ingredients required.

Recipe: Rudolph's Christmas Sugar Cookies

Coat pretzels, peanuts, and breakfast cereal in vanilla candy coating and toss in some red and green candies for a crunchy sweet treat that will be devoured by both reindeer and children.

Recipe: Magic Reindeer Food

Invite Santa to take a break and sit in front of the fireplace with a mug a peppermint-flavored hot cocoa. You'll probably want to do the same before he arrives.

Recipe: Peppermint Stick Hot Chocolate

Let the kids use their imaginations as they make reindeer faces on top of cookies made from gingerbread mix. You'll need candy canes, licorice candies, and cherry candies for the decorations.

Recipe: Reindeer Gingersnaps

After all the hot chocolate and milk, change it up for Santa with apple cider. In addition to familiar lemon and cinnamon notes, molasses gives this cider a sweet kick.

You can't go wrong with a classic chocolate chip cookie. They're one of Santa's longtime favorites.

Santa just might leave you a few extra presents if you leave him a bowl of this sweet and crunchy snack mix. The oat bran and multigrain cluster cereals, raisins, pecans, and raisins all provide some necessary nutrients for Old Saint Nick.

Recipe: Santa Snack Mix