More favorite holiday cookie recipes

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance. From four-time finalist Lance Swanson of North Branch, Minn. "They're at their considerable best when warm from the oven," noted one judge. Swanson recommends using Hershey's Bliss or Dove Promises candies. "I've never been a fan of 'one dough, umpteen cookies' type recipes, but when the dough is as versatile as this one I can make an exception," Swanson wrote in his entry. "These cookies are reminiscent of the breakfast treats you'll find in French pâtisseries."

• 2 c. flour, frozen, plus extra for rolling dough

• 3 tbsp. granulated sugar

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

• 2 oz. cold cream cheese, cut into 1/2-in. pieces

• 36 good-quality dark chocolate candies, unwrapped

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tsp. water

• About 1 c. sliced almonds

• Powdered sugar for dusting, optional

In a bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, mix flour, granulated sugar and salt until combined. Add butter and cream cheese, increase speed to medium, and beat until mixture resembles coarse sand. Reduce speed to low, sprinkle 6 tablespoons water over dough, and mix just until dough starts to form marble-sized clumps (adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if necessary). Divide dough into 2 equal pieces, press dough into disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water.

On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough into 2- by 3-inch rectangles (using a credit card as a guide is helpful). Center one chocolate candy (placing candy flat-side up) on each rectangle. Brush one short side of each rectangle with beaten egg yolk and loosely roll unbrushed short side of dough around chocolate to meet the brushed side. Gently press dough together. Generously brush tops with beaten egg yolk and dip tops in sliced almonds.

Place cookies 2 inches apart, seam-side down, on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, including scraps (if dough has become warm and soft, refrigerate for 15 minutes). Bake until well-browned, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust lightly with powdered sugar, if desired.

Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance. From Haley Nelson of St. Paul, who is a food blogger (www.cheaprecipeblog.com). Last year she and three other bloggers conducted a cookie exchange. She flipped for one of the cookies she received (from thenoshery.com), and tweaked it "just to make them a little more holiday-appropriate," Nelson wrote in her entry. "All of these flavors really shouldn't taste good together, but they do." Our judges agreed. "Now this tastes like a holiday cookie," said one. "And I like the soft and chewy texture, too."

For cookies:

• 4 c. flour

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 2 tsp. baking soda

• 1 tsp. ground cloves

• 2 tsp. ground ginger

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 2 c. granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 tbsp. crystallized ginger, chopped into small pieces

• 1 c. milk chocolate chips

For glaze:

• 2 c. powdered sugar, plus extra if necessary

• 2 tbsp. eggnog

• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

Directions

To prepare cookies: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and ginger, and reserve.

In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter for 1 minute. Add granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add molasses and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in crystallized ginger and chocolate chips. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

To prepare glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, eggnog, bourbon and nutmeg (adding more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary). Spread glaze over cookies.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Note: This recipe must be prepared in advance. From Cheryl Asplund of Champlin, who first encountered this recipe in the December 1995 issue of Gourmet magazine. "The original recipe featured eight cookie varieties, but we all fell in love with the coconut sticks so I was never tempted to try any of the others," she wrote in her entry. "I have made them every year since 1995." Asplund added that the dough "is very easy to work with, forgiving and can be many different sizes. If I make the sticks too long, I dip both ends [in chocolate]. I also toast the coconut as dark as possible without burning it. I love the way my kitchen smells." The consensus among our judges? "They'll look great on a cookie tray," said one. To toast coconut, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut in a thin, even layer on a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until coconut just begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool.

• 11 tbsp. (1 stick plus 3 tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 7 tbsp. sugar

• 1 egg yolk

• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 c. plus 1 tbsp. flour

• 1 c. sweetened flaked coconut, toasted golden and cooled (see Note)

• 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter for 1 minute. Add sugar and salt, and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Reduce speed to low, add flour and mix until just combined. Add coconut and mix until just combined.

Pat dough into an 3- by- 11-inch rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a sharp knife, cut dough crosswise into 1/4-inch slices and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Using a sharp knife, cut each slice lengthwise to form "sticks," separating them slightly with knife. Bake until pale golden, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.