It was quite an afternoon at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis on Saturday, when the five bakers in our 2011 holiday cookie contest gathered, baked and shared their winning cookies with an appreciative -- and hungry -- crowd.

Winner Beth Jones of Owatonna, Minn. Her cookie: Swedish Almond-Chocolate Macaroons.

Finalist Becky Varone of Chaska. Her cookie: Snowball Clippers.

Finalist Kay Lieberherr of St. Paul. Her cookie: Almond Palmiers.

Finalist Joan Hause of Lake Elmo. Her cookie: Lemon-Lime Christmas Trees.

Finalist Lance Swanson of North Branch, Minn. His recipe: Chocolate Drizzled Churros.

A big thanks to the Mill City Museum for hosting the event, and to our bakers, for a sweet and festive afternoon in the baking lab. Find their stories here and their recipes here.