Enter the Season's Best holiday cookie contest

Think your cookies take the cake? Once again, the Southeast Missourian's Sunday section, Good Times, is teaming up with the special publications division for the Season's Best holiday cookie contest. Readers are invited to submit their recipes for holiday cookies and bars by visiting semissourian.com/cookiecontest or mailing the recipe to Season's Best Cookie Contest c/o Chris Harris, PO Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702.

Recipes will be narrowed down to 10 semifinalists, who will be invited to bake their cookie for final judging Dec. 5. Winners will be featured in the Sunday Good Times section Dec. 11, and all recipes will appear online. Deadline for entering recipes is Nov. 30. Got questions? Call editor Chris Harris at 573-388-3641.

To give you some inspiration, test out these recipes, including last year's cookie contest winner.

Cranberry Pecan Crescents (2010 cookie contest winner)

Submitted by Susan Fields

"This is a recipe that belonged to my aunt, who has passed away. Everyone enjoyed these so much she made sure we all received this recipe before she died. My sons always called them Aunt Bell's wrapped-up cookies."

Dough: 1 cup butter, soft 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1 large egg beaten 1/2 cup shiny sugar*

Cranberry Pecan Filling: 3/4 cup sugar 2/3 cup chopped pecans 2/3 cup finely chopped sweet dried cranberries 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice

__Directions__ To make filling, stir ingredients until well blended. To make the dough, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until fluffy. Stir in flour and salt. Divide dough into 8 equal portions, flatten each portion into a disk, wrap each separately in plastic wrap. Chill 8 hours. Roll 1 portion of dough at a time into a 8 inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the cranberry pecan mixture on the circles, leaving about a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Cut into 8 wedges. Roll up wedges starting at wide end to form a crescent shape. Place point side down on lightly greased baking sheet. Brush gently with egg. sprinkle with shiny sugar. Makes about 64 cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool completely. * "You can get the shiny sugar at stores that sell cake decorating supplies. My aunt always used regular sugar. It was my choice to try the sparkling sugar, and it makes it look more shiny."

Paula Deen's White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies

__Ingredients__ 1 1/2 cup white chocolate chunks 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 large eggs 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup candied cherries

__Directions__ Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, with electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Set aside. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add milk then flour mixture to butter mixture. In another bowl, combine nuts, cherries and white chocolate. Add to batter, stirring only to blend. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a greased cooking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for about 11 to 13 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Source: CTW

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

__Ingredients__ 1 can pumpkin 4 cups flour 2 cups sugar 2 cups shortening 2 eggs 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 1 bag chocolate chips (dark chocolate chips taste great)

__Directions__ Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using electric mixture, cream together shortening, sugar and pumpkin. Add eggs to mixture one at a time. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Slowly incorporate flour mixture into pumpking mixture. Add chocolate chips, stirring to blend. Drop heaping tablespoons onto a cookie sheet, about two inches apart. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Source: Heather Collier, special publications editor