SCRANTON, Pa. — Christmas is fast approaching, and folks in Lackawanna County are wasting no time picking out tasty morsels from local bakeries, often with someone special in mind.
"I actually take piano lessons, and he's my piano teacher," said Marie Robson. "I saw some brownies in there, and I thought he'd like them."
The lot outside the Minooka Pastry Shop was packed as customers filed in to snag some of the final batches of Christmas treats.
"I come to the Minooka Bake Shop for special delicacies. It's very crowded in there. It's a very busy time," Robson said.
The most wonderful time of the year is also the busiest for this business. A week-long rush leads up to the big day.
"Black Friday is for the retailers; this is kind of our Black Friday," said co-owner Robert Zakraski.
Owners say the big orders are coming back this year. The shop has been hiring but could still use more help servicing the 500 customers they see per day. They can hardly stock the shelves fast enough.
"I have a lot of extra staff. It's been a hard time finding people. Everybody is having a hard time finding extra staff, but we were successful in that," said Zakraski.
No one can seem to get enough of those Christmas cookies. Marybeth Cassidy got her hands on another local holiday staple.
"For our friends down in Florida, they love the nut rolls, so I have 25 ordered."
She's headed south after the holidays and won't miss the cold weather, but Florida can't touch those Pennsylvania comfort foods.
"They don't have anything like this. This is the best. They've been here forever, so I've been coming here with my grandmother. We used to come out the Laurel Line," Cassidy recalled.
Santa's diet of milk and cookies may not be doctor-approved, but these iced masterpieces never fail to sprinkle in mouthfuls of joy.
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