It couldn't be easier to enter the 11th annual Taste Holiday Cookie Contest.

The rules? Barely any. Just submit your recipe, along with the story that the cookie plays in your holiday baking. That's it.

We keep an eye out for original recipes — remember, the goal is to give Taste readers a delicious new way to celebrate the holidays — but we also enjoy recipes from previously published sources (newspapers, magazines, cookbooks, websites) that you've made your own. We appreciate great stories, too.

Over the past decade, we've built up a prestigious winner's circle, including Royal Sweets with Chocolate Balsamic Sauce (from Patrice Johnson of Roseville, 2012), Swedish Almond-Chocolate Macaroons (Beth Jones of Owatonna, Minn., 2011), Pistachio-Orange Cookies (Scott Rohr of Minneapolis, 2010) and seven delicious others (find them all at Startribune.com/cookies). You and your recipe could be next.

Grand prize is a $200 gift card to a local cooking store. Recipes from our winner and finalists will be published in Taste's annual cookie issue on Dec. 5, and everyone will be invited to display their cookie-baking prowess at a fun, open-to-the-public event at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis on Dec. 7.

Be sure to include your name, address, daytime phone number and e-mail address with your recipe and story.

Enter via e-mail: taste@startribune.com (please write "Taste Holiday Cookie Contest" in the subject field).

Enter by mail: Taste Holiday Cookie Contest, Star Tribune, 425 Portland Av., Minneapolis, MN 55488.

Deadline: Noon on Oct. 18.

RICK NELSON