Live, on Thursday: A virtual cookie chat

It's not too late to sign up for our second annual virtual cookie exchange. We supply the chatter, you supply the shortbreads, Chocolate Crinkles and Peanut Butter Blossoms.

At 11 a.m. today, when we gather online to celebrate the Star Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest, you can learn how we sifted through 278 entries to select this year's winner and four finalists.

Taste editor Nicole Hvidsten, staff writer Rick Nelson and Lunds & Byerlys chef Amy Carter will reveal all the delicious details of our 19th annual cookiefest. They'll be joined by our 2021 winner, Cynthia Baxter, who will share her experiences with the competition.

Learn all about this year's five impressive recipes, hear insider stories from past cookie contests and pick up a few baking tips.

The StribLive chat is free, but you must preregister. Sign up at StarTribune.com/striblive. We'll start the conversation at 11 a.m., so have your questions ready for the panel.

The online source for all things cookies

Our highly browsable cookie archive features nearly 100 gotta-bake recipes from all 19 iterations of the Star Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest. Quick search functions and easy printing capabilities make this a bookmarked destination for cookie enthusiasts, and not just during the holidays, but all year long. Find it all day, every day, at StarTribune.com/cookies. Spot this year's winners front and center with a "new" label on them.

A helpful baking tool, an ideal gift

We constantly turn to our digital collection of cookie recipes (see above), and we relish the delight of opening up the Taste section and reading the annual print edition of the Star Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest.

But we also love cookbooks, which is why we created "The Great Minnesota Cookie Book." Published in 2018 by the University of Minnesota Press ($24.95), the photo-packed book was a finalist in the International Association of Culinary Professionals' prestigious annual cookbook awards competition.

The book features all 77 recipes that were published during the contest's first 15 years. The roster includes Nut Goodie Thumbprints, Cranberry Pecan Swirls, Taffy Treats, Mocha Cappuccino Cookies, Pistachio Orange Cookies, Cranberry Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies, and more. We know that one of these treats is destined to become your new holiday favorite.

Find copies at local bookstores and at StarTribune.com/shop.