On the hunt for Minnesota‘s best cookie recipes

When the weather turns cold in Minnesota, it’s time to start baking. And nothing spreads joy like a plate full of homemade cookies.

In 2003, the Minnesota Star Tribune started an annual holiday cookie contest. In the years since then, bakers have submitted more than 5,000 of their favorite recipes — from sugar plum doodles to cranberry pecan swirls and whiskey gingers.

The winning recipes were compiled in a book in 2018, and this month an updated version was published: “The Ultimate Minnesota Cookie Book: 100 Best Recipes from the Star Tribune’s Holiday Cookie Contest.”

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Lee Svitak Dean and Rick Nelson the books’ co-authors and founders of the contest, about the recipes and the stories behind them. So, start preheating your oven!

The authors picked these four cookies as a few of their favorites. Listen to the full conversation by clicking play on the audio player above and find the recipes below.

Almond Palmiers

Ingredients

Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies

• 4 tablespoons (¹/₂ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• ¹/₄ cup powdered sugar, plus extra for garnish, optional

• 1 (7-ounce) tube almond paste, cut into small pieces

• 1 egg

• ¹/₂ teaspoon almond extract

• ¹/₄ cup granulated sugar, divided

• 1 (17.3-ounce) package puff pastry sheets, thawed in the refrigerator

Note: This dough must be prepared in advance. Palmiers go by many other names, including elephant ears, palm leaves and French hearts. Widely available Pepperidge Farm puff pastry works perfectly well with this cookie, but we loved the results from Dufour Pastry Kitchens puff pastry. The all-butter product makes a gloriously light, golden and flaky palmier.

Directions

In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute.

Add the powdered sugar and almond paste. Beat until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the egg and almond extract, and beat until thoroughly combined.

Sprinkle a surface with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Carefully unfold 1 puff pastry sheet over the granulated sugar and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Using a rolling pin, roll the puff pastry sheet into a 12-inch square.

Divide the almond paste mixture in half, and carefully spread half the mixture evenly over the top of the puff pastry sheet. Carefully roll up opposite sides of the puff pastry sheet, from the outer edge to the middle, with the rolls meeting in the center.

Firmly press together, wrap the puff pastry roll in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. Repeat with the second puff pastry sheet.

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

Unwrap the puff pastry rolls and, using a sharp knife, trim off the uneven ends. Cut the rolls into ¹/₄ -inch slices and place (flat side down) 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar (optional).

Cranberry Pecan Swirls

Ingredients

Makes 3 dozen cookies

For the cookies:

• 1 ¹/₂ cups flour, plus extra for rolling dough

• ¹/₄ teaspoon baking powder

• ¹/₄ teaspoon salt

• ¹/₂ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• ³/₄ cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

• ¹/₃ cup finely chopped fresh cranberries

• ¹/₂ cup ground pecans

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

Directions

Preparing the cookies:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and reserve.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Then add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat until thoroughly combined.

Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preparing the filling:

In a small bowl, combine the cranberries, pecans and orange zest.

To assembly cookies:

On a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to a 10-inch square. Sprinkle the cranberry mixture over the dough, leaving a ¹/₂ -inch border on two opposite sides.

Roll the dough, jelly-roll fashion, beginning at one of the borders and rolling toward the other border. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours.

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

Unwrap the dough and, using a sharp knife, trim off the uneven ends. Cut the dough into ¹/₄ -inch thick slices and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake until lightly browned, 14 to 15 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Devil’s Delight Cookies

Ingredients

Makes 2 dozen cookies

For the dusting mixture:

• 4 teaspoons granulated sugar

• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• ¹/₈ teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the cookies:

• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

• ¹/₂ cup plus 2 teaspoons flour

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• ¹/₄ teaspoon baking powder

• ¹/₄ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• ¹/₄ teaspoon salt

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 3 eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 3 ounces chocolate bar with cinnamon and red chile, chopped (see Note)

• ¹/₂ cup cinnamon chips

Note: Two options for chile- and cinnamon-infused chocolate bars are Chuao Chocolatier’s Spicy Maya and Lindt’s Excellence Chili Dark Chocolate.

Directions

To prepare the dusting mixture:

In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, cinnamon and cayenne pepper, and reserve.

To prepare the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a double boiler over gently simmering water (or in a bowl in a microwave oven), melt the bittersweet chocolate, whisking occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cayenne pepper and salt, and reserve.

In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue to beat until the mixture is pale, light and creamy, about 5 minutes.

Reduce the speed to low, add the lukewarm melted chocolate and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Using a spatula, fold in the flour mixture, and then fold in the chopped cinnamon–chile chocolate bar and cinnamon chips.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle a pinch of the dusting mixture over each cookie, and bake until the tops are evenly cracked but the cookies are not yet firm to the touch, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool them completely on the baking sheets.

Orange Ginger Drops

Ingredients

Makes 4 dozen cookies

• 2 ¹/₄ cups flour

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• ¹/₄ teaspoon salt

• ¹/₂ teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest, divided

• 1 tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger, plus extra for garnish

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

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

• 1 egg

• ¹/₄ cup molasses

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Note: This dough must be prepared in advance.

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, ground ginger, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and crystallized ginger, and reserve.

In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, molasses and orange juice, and beat until thoroughly combined.

Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 teaspoons orange zest with the granulated sugar. Using your fingers, blend the mixture thoroughly until the orange zest has a crystallized appearance and texture, and reserve.

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

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Dip the cookies in the orange zest mixture and place, sugar-side up, 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a few pieces of the crystallized ginger into the sugared top.

Bake until the cookies are set but not hard, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Reprinted with permission from “The Ultimate Minnesota Cookie Book: 100 Best Recipes from the Star Tribune’s Holiday Cookie Contest” by Lee Svitak Dean and Rick Nelson, photography by Tom Wallace, University of Minnesota Press, November 2024. Copyright 2024 by Lee Svitak Dean and Rick Nelson. Photographs copyright 2024 by Tom Wallace. 

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