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Thanks to all the Star Tribune readers who submitted recipes to the 17th annual Taste Holiday Cookie Contest. Last week, we sorted through nearly 200 entries and selected 15 semifinalists. A dozen skilled volunteer bakers worked their magic in the kitchen, then eight judges threw themselves into a cookie-tasting marathon, culminating in the selection of this year's winner and four finalists. We can't wait to publish the (delicious) results in the Dec. 5 issue of Taste. You can find cookie recipes from the past at startribune.com/cookies. The first 15 years of contest winners are compiled in "The Great Minnesota Cookie Book," by Lee Svitak Dean and Rick Nelson, available at startribune.com/shop and at bookstores.