Here are the winning recipes for the 2021 Star Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest

Makes about 2 dozen sandwich cookies.

Note: This dough must be prepared in advance. Our 2021 winner is from Cynthia Baxter of Minneapolis.

For rosemary brown sugar:

• 3/4 c. lightly packed light brown sugar

• 1 large fresh rosemary sprig

For cookies:

• 2 c. flour, plus more for rolling dough

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. baking powder

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

• 1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest

• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

• Fresh small rosemary leaves, for garnish

For lemon creme:

• 2 c. sifted powdered sugar, plus more as needed

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/3 c. mascarpone cheese

• 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed

Directions

To prepare rosemary brown sugar: Gently roll rosemary sprig between your hands or under a rolling pin to release its fragrance. In a small bowl or jar, bury the rosemary in the brown sugar, cover tightly and let sit at room temperature for 24 to 72 hours; the longer it sits, the deeper the flavor. When ready to bake, discard rosemary sprig from brown sugar and reserve brown sugar.

To prepare cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder, and reserve.

In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and 1/2 cup lightly packed rosemary brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add lemon zest and 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary and mix until just incorporated. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 30 to 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured work surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a small cookie cutter to cut dough and place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, gathering up scraps, rerolling and cutting until all dough is used.

For half of the cookies, lightly brush the tops with water (leaving the other half of the cookies plain). Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup rosemary brown sugar on the water-brushed cookies and then garnish with small rosemary leaves. Bake until cookies are lightly browned on the bottom, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and cool for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare lemon creme: In the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, combine powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons butter, mascarpone and lemon juice, and mix until combined. Increase speed to medium and mix until creme is smooth and creamy, adjusting with powdered sugar or lemon juice to achieve desired consistency.

To assemble cookies: Spoon or pipe a dollop of lemon creme into the center of the bottom side of a plain cookie. Top with a rosemary-topped cookie, as if making a sandwich, and gently press cookies together until filling spreads evenly to about 1/16th-inch from edge. Repeat until all cookies form sandwiches.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Note: Find dried blueberries in the dried fruits section at many supermarkets and the bulk foods sections of many natural foods co-ops. In a pinch, use blueberry juice-infused Craisins. From Carla McClellan of Minneapolis.

• 1/2 c. salted butter, at room temperature

• 1/3 c. granulated sugar

• 1/4 tsp. baking soda

• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 c. flour

• 1/2 c. dried blueberries (see Note)

• Powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed (or, in a large mixing bowl, stirring with a spoon), beat butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle baking soda over mixture and beat until thoroughly combined, then add vanilla extract and egg yolk and beat until thoroughly combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour, a few tablespoons at a time, mixing until just incorporated. Stir in dried blueberries.

Form dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom, about 8 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and cool for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Note: This dough must be prepared in advance. From Micah Zupke of Lakeville.

For cookies:

• 2 c. flour

• 2/3 c. malted milk powder

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1 tsp. salt

• 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/4 c. shortening

• 3/4 c. brown sugar

• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

• 1 egg

• 1 egg yolk

For frosting:

• 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

• 4 c. powdered sugar, plus more as needed

• 1 c. malted milk powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/2 c. heavy cream, plus more as needed

• Malted milk balls (or mini malted milk balls), for garnish

Directions

To prepare cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, 2/3 cup malted milk powder, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt, and reserve.

In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat 3/4 cup butter, shortening, brown sugar and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and beat until fully incorporated. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and mix until just a few streaks of flour remain. Continue to stir by hand to combine. Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Form dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until the tops of the cookies are lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and cool for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare frosting: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 3/4 cup butter and cook, stirring constantly, until butter smells nutty and browned bits begin to form at the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer brown butter to a small bowl and cool slightly.

In a bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, combine powdered sugar, 1 cup malted milk powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, brown butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and ¹⁄₂ cup heavy cream and mix until combined. Increase speed to medium and mix until frosting is smooth and creamy, adjusting with powdered sugar or cream to achieve desired consistency.

To assemble cookies: Transfer frosting into a piping bag with a 1M tip (alternately, transfer frosting to a plastic bag, and cut out the corner) and pipe a frosting circle on the top of each cookie. Garnish with a whole malted milk ball (or mini malted milk ball), or with chopped or crushed malted milk balls.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Note: To toast pecans, place the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring (or shaking the pan frequently), until they just begin to release their fragrance, about 3 to 4 minutes (alternatively, preheat oven to 325 degrees, spread the nuts on an ungreased baking sheet and bake, stirring often, for 4 to 6 minutes). From Becky Brandt of Long Lake.

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

• 1 c. powdered sugar, divided

• 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, divided

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 2 c. flour

• 1/2 c. chocolate chips

• 1/2 c. chopped toasted pecans (see Note)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, add 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa powder and vanilla extract, and mix until thoroughly combined. Reduce speed to low, add cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, salt and as much of the flour as your mixer can handle, mixing until just combined. Stir in remaining flour, then stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Form dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 19 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and cool for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a shallow bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar, remaining 1/4 cup cocoa powder and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Roll cookies in cocoa-cinnamon mixture.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies.

Note: This dough must be prepared in advance. Instant espresso powder, such as the Medaglia D'Oro brand, can be found in the coffee aisle of most supermarkets. From Joanne Holtmeier of Edina.

For cookies:

• 2 1/2 c. flour, plus more for rolling dough

• 1/4 tsp. baking powder

• 1/4 tsp. salt

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

• 3/4 c. granulated sugar

• 1 egg and 1 egg yolk (reserve egg white)

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 1/4 tsp. rum extract

• 1 1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder (see Note)

• 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

For mascarpone glaze:

• 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar, plus more as needed

• 1/4 c. mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

• 1 1/2 tsp. heavy cream (or milk), plus more as needed

• 1 to 2 tbsp. brewed espresso (or coffee), at room temperature

• Finely chopped dark chocolate, for garnish

Directions

To prepare cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, and reserve.

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

Form dough into 3 equal portions and transfer each portion to a separate medium bowl. Mix rum extract into the first dough, mix espresso powder into the second dough and mix cocoa powder into the third dough.

Divide each type of dough in half, shape each piece of dough into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate until dough is slightly firm, about 30 to 60 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough into ropes about 16 inches long. Lay a rope of rum-flavored dough next to a rope of espresso-flavored dough next to a cocoa-flavored dough (espresso-flavored dough should be in the middle), brushing each layer with reserved egg white to help layers adhere to one another. Press down lightly to slightly flatten and attach the layers together. Repeat with remaining ropes of dough. Refrigerate about 10 minutes.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 1-inch-wide pieces. Take each piece and press it together to secure, then roll it between your hands or on a very lightly floured work surface to make a 3-inch baton. Repeat with remaining dough, and place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until tops of cookies are set and slightly cracked, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare mascarpone glaze: In a bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, combine powdered sugar, mascarpone, cream (or milk) and espresso (or coffee), and mix until combined. Increase speed to medium and mix until glaze is smooth and creamy, adjusting with powdered sugar or cream (or milk) to achieve desired consistency. Transfer glaze to a plastic bag, cut out the corner and pipe decorative stripes or swirls of glaze on the top of each cookie. Immediately top with chocolate shavings and allow to set before serving.