Tribune’s Holiday Cookie Contest 2023: Get the winning recipes

After almost four decades, Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest bakers continue to submit delicious, yet sometimes surprisingly simple recipes that readers turn to year after year.

The winners of this year’s 37th annual contest are no different, and they stunned a cadre of guest judges to boot. Below, find recipes for Graham Cracker Praline, the first-place winner from Kathy Evertsberg of Winnetka; Chewy Sesame Chocolate Chunk Cookies from second-place winner and Chicagoan Clarissa Frayn; and our third-place winner, Coconut Tassies from Mary Kim of Chicago. To learn more about how they created these recipes, read the story here.

[ Get the book: 25 years of award-winning Holiday Cookie Contest recipes ]

Happy baking!

First place: Graham Cracker Praline

These cookies bring back memories of baking with my grandmother Grace Vander Ley while growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A simple combination of graham crackers, butter, brown sugar and nuts transform into a caramel toffee-like delight. Do not let the simplicity fool you! — Kathy Evertsberg, Winnetka

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 10 minutes

Yield: 36 pieces

Ingredients:

⅓ box of graham crackers (1 wrapped package of 9 crackers, or around 36 marked quarter sections)

1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter

½ cup brown sugar, tightly packed

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place crackers on jelly roll pan. Break crackers apart into quarters, but place them in rows so they are touching.

3. Slowly melt butter in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and cook stirring for 3 minutes. Stir in the nuts and pour mixture over graham crackers, covering all.

4. Bake for 10 minutes (no longer: these burn easily).

5. Remove from tray and cool on a rack.

Second place: Chewy Sesame Chocolate Chunk Cookies

As a kid, all I wanted was the sweetest cookie I could find, but these days I am seeking something more nuanced in flavor. These chewy sesame chocolate chunk cookies check the comfort box of a classic cookie while the sesame oil brings a warm nutty flavor, and the seeds make for a delicious texture and beautiful presentation. Perfect for the holidays! — Clarissa Frayn, Chicago

Prep time: 40 minutes

Bake time: 10 minutes

Yield: 16 cookies

Ingredients:

114 grams (8 tablespoons) browned butter, cooled to room temperature

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

200 grams (1 cup) light brown sugar

100 grams (½ cup) white granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

284 grams (2 cups) white all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

85 grams (½ cup) chocolate chunks 55%-70% cacao

2 tablespoons black sesame seeds, for rolling

2 tablespoons white sesame seeds, for rolling

Flaky salt for sprinkling, if desired

Directions:

1. Brown your butter: Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it melts, start stirring continuously. After 4 to 5 minutes, the butter will begin to sizzle and foam. This is normal, keep on stirring! Around 7 to 10 minutes in, the butter will turn golden and little brown bits will start to form. Watch carefully at this stage because it can quickly burn. You are looking for a deep golden brown, but not black. Remove from heat and reweigh the browned butter to determine how much moisture was lost. Add in enough additional butter to bring the weight back up to 114 grams. Let cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).

3. Beat the butter, sesame oil, vanilla and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle on medium speed until creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the egg and egg yolk.

4. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the stand mixer bowl and beat on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.

5. Add the chocolate chips and use a rubber spatula to give the dough a final mix and make sure it is completely combined.

6. Form the dough into balls, about 50 grams (2 tablespoons) each, and dip the ball into the sesame seeds, covering the top of the dough ball (leave the base without seeds). Once on the baking sheet, sprinkle each cookie with a little flaky salt, if desired.

7. Bake the cookies until the base edges are a golden brown color and the cookies are slightly puffed, 8 to 10 minutes. Let the cookies rest on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cookies are always best warm but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Third place: Coconut Tassies

These special cookies were inspired by my 100-year-old father’s fondness for coconut. I experimented with macaroon recipes and different flavorings, and, at my daughter’s suggestion, combined two types of cookie to make a “Coconut Tassie” — a macaroon with a rich, tender crust. I then asked my dad to be my chief taste tester, and was thrilled when he gave them a thumbs-up! Other family and friends tried them and made suggestions for improvement. These coconut tassies are special because they are the product of warmhearted collaboration. They also have texture and versatility: you can divide each batch and add whatever you like to the filling. For instance, we like to flavor them with lemon zest, candied ginger or chocolate, but you could try sliced almonds, white chocolate or whatever your family likes best. That means each family’s coconut tassies will be different but delicious and special to them. I hope you enjoy experimenting with the flavor of these tassies and have someone as nice as my dad to share them with. — Mary Kim, Chicago

Prep time: 40 minutes

Chill time: 30 minutes or more

Bake time: 25-30 minutes per batch

Yield: 56 1 teaspoon balls

Ingredients:

Crust

8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)

1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

2 cups flour

Coconut filling

1 can sweetened condensed coconut milk (typically 11.25 oz.)*

6 cups unsweetened flaked coconut, roughly chopped** (Be sure to use unsweetened coconut or the cookies will be very sweet)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 egg whites (room temperature)

¼ teaspoon salt

Flavorings

⅛ -¼ cup dark chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon candied ginger, chopped

2-3 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

*If you can’t find sweetened condensed coconut milk, substitute 1 can sweetened condensed milk (typically 14 oz.).

**If you can’t find flaked coconut, substitute 6 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut.

Directions

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl until fluffy for the crust.

2. Mix in the flour gradually until the dough comes together. Remove from bowl, pat the dough into a disc shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

3. Make the coconut filling while the dough chills: Roughly chop 6 cups of unsweetened flaked coconut, which should yield approximately 5 cups when chopped.

4. Mix the chopped coconut with the sweetened condensed coconut milk and the vanilla in a large mixing bowl.

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5. Beat the egg whites and salt until they form soft peaks in a separate bowl. Gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

6. Divide the coconut mixture into three portions and put each portion into a separate bowl so you can add different flavorings if desired. In one bowl, fold in the chopped chocolate; in the second bowl, fold in the chopped candied ginger; and in the third bowl, fold in the freshly grated lemon zest.

7. Grease the mini muffin pan so the tassies will pop out easily when baked.

8. Take the dough out of the fridge once chilled and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

9. Take one teaspoon of chilled dough and roll it into a ball for each tassie. Place the ball into a muffin well and use your thumb to press the dough into the corners and up the sides. (The dough will be approximately ⅛ inch thick). When you have filled the muffin pan, prick the bottom of each crust 2 to 3 times with a fork.

10. Pre-bake the crusts for 10 minutes. Take them out of the oven and promptly fill each crust with 1 heaping teaspoon of coconut filling. Put back in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes in the pan, then carefully remove tassies from the pan and put them on a baking rack to cool completely.

Note: We recommend using a mini muffin pan for two-bite tassies. If you prefer a larger cookie, you can use a regular-sized muffin pan. In that case, divide the dough for the crust into 24 equal portions, and roll each portion into a ball. Proceed as above, except use 2 tablespoons of filling per tassie and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.