Q: What on Earth made you think "Hey, let's start a holiday cookie contest!"?
A: Madness? Kidding. I was paging through hundreds of fragile back issues of Taste from the 1970s and 1980s. It was fascinating. Back in that pre-internet era, there were all kinds of features that emphasized reader input. I thought it would be fun to rekindle that interactive spirit.
Q: What are the most entries you've had in a year?
A: Around 360, that was in 2008. We've accumulated maybe 5,000 entries over 20 years. This year we had about 225, and we baked and taste-tested 19 semifinalists to determine the winner and four finalists.
Q: Did you ever anticipate it would still be going strong at 20 years?
A: Never. That initial contest didn't have a "first annual" frame, but the response was so positive that we gave it a second go-round the following year. From there, it grew into a tradition.

Q: When readers enter, they share the story behind the cookie recipe. Do you have any that hold a special place in your heart?
A: My mind immediately goes to William Teresa. While he was studying in Bologna, he spent most weekends with his Italian girlfriend's family, where he became hooked on her grandmother's almond cookies. When it was time to return to Minnesota, he politely asked for the recipe; the response was, "No." Family secrets, right? He developed his own version and friends convinced him to enter it in our 2014 contest. It won.