In just 77 days we will announce the winner of the ninth-annual Taste Holiday Cookie Contest. Who knows? You could follow in the footsteps of our 2010 winner, Scott Rohr of Minneapolis, who catapulted to fame and fortune -- well, a gift certificate to a local cooking store, anyway -- when his Pistachio-Orange Cookies joined our winner's pantheon. Here is Rohr's recipe.

In this competition, original recipes step to the front of the pack. Just look at Rohr's imaginative submission, which dressed up a beloved family favorite with the addition of vibrant flavors and textures. We also value recipes gleaned from family and friends, or discovered in newspapers, cookbooks, magazines and websites. A case in point: 2009's impressive Almond Triangles. Winner Charlotte Midthun of Granite Falls, Minn., plucked the recipe from a magazine and, over a 15-year time span, made the nutty, buttery bar cookie into her signature holiday treat.

A tip: Our in-box is often inundated with spritz, candied wreaths, gingerbread cutouts and other standards, and while we love them, we view this contest as an opportunity to introduce new and unusual cookies to Taste readers. Make your entry stand out with a recipe that even the most prolific of bakers will want to add to their crowded December baking rotations.

The winner (who will receive a $200 gift certificate), finalists and their recipes will be featured in the Star Tribune on Dec. 1, and will be invited to demonstrate their cookie-baking prowess at an open-to-the-public event on Dec. 3 at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis.

Because we also appreciate a good story, we ask that you include a letter outlining the recipe's origins and its role in your December celebrations.

Good luck, and good baking.