The deadline to enter the 15th annual Taste Holiday Cookie Contest is Friday.

Yes, this Friday. Oct. 20th. At noon.

Fame and fortune are on the line. We'll publish the winning recipes — and the stories behind them — on Nov. 30. Top prize is a $200 gift card to a cooking store.

Original recipes are great, but we also appreciate recipes that you've discovered elsewhere and have incorporated into your holiday baking traditions.

As contests go, this one is relatively rules-free. All you need to do is send in your cookie recipe — and the story behind it, because we love good stories — to taste@startribune.com, or to Taste Holiday Cookie Contest, Star Tribune, 650 3rd Av. S., Suite 1300, Minneapolis, MN 55488.

Please include your name, address, e-mail address and daytime phone number. Don't delay.

RICK NELSON