Tribune’s 2025 Holiday Cookie Contest: Get the winning recipes

The three winning cookie recipes for the 39th annual Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest all pay tribute to bakers from years ago; whether it’s a mother, grandmother or a best friend’s mom.

Here are the recipes for Pracny-Inspired Nut Crescents, the first-place recipe by Janet Lapen; Eggnog Crème Brûlée Cookies, the second-place recipe by Lauren Wagner; and MMMM Cookies (Mom’s Mandelbread Modified for Marty), the third-place recipe by Elyse Tish.

To learn about what inspired these readers to create these recipes, read the story here. Happy baking!

First place: Pracny-Inspired Nut Crescents

My favorite cookie of all time is the Czech pracny. I first tasted this cookie at age 6, soon after my family moved to Forest Park. That’s where I met my best friend, Marion, whose mother, Blanche, was an exceptional baker. Every Christmas, Blanche made pracny cookies, which are richly flavored with cinnamon, clove and cocoa, and pressed into ornate molds before baking. As a young girl, Blanche had learned to make pracny with her neighbor, who later passed down the treasured molds to her. Each year, Blanche invited my mother, Marion and me to help press the dough, filling her kitchen with the scent of spice and laughter. After Blanche passed, Marion and I continued the tradition. I made the dough, she brought the molds and together we baked!

Now, more than 60 years later, our daughters join us in the kitchen to carry on this tradition. What began as a childhood memory has become a beloved family pastime, connecting generations. Wanting to share that magic, I created an easier version of pracny, a simple recipe without a cookie mold that still captures the same warmth, love and spiced aroma of Blanche’s original cookies that I hope all can enjoy! — Janet Lapen, Downers Grove

Prep time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Refrigeration time: 1 hour (optional)

Bake time: 15-18 minutes

Yield: 45 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup softened butter (salted)
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (plus more for dredging cookies when cooled)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Cream butter and powdered sugar together until thoroughly mixed. Add vanilla.
2. Mix flour, spices and cocoa powder in a separate bowl.
3. Alternate adding the flour mixture and nuts to the butter and sugar mix.
4. Mix until completely combined. Chill the dough for at least an hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Form generous tablespoon portions of dough into crescent shapes.
6. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheets, space cookies about 1 inch apart.
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
8. Let cookies cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to the cooling rack.
9. Dredge completely cooled cookies in powdered sugar or sift powdered sugar on top of cookies.

Note: We did not find it necessary to chill the dough. We recommend sifting the powdered sugar for a better consistency.

Second place: Eggnog Crème Brûlée Cookies

Every December, the first thing that meant “Christmas” to me wasn’t the tree or the lights — it was the sound of my grandma pouring eggnog into three little glasses for her, my mom and me. We’d sit by the window, watching the snow fall, talking about what cookies to bake next. Eggnog was our shared comfort — creamy, sweet and full of warmth — and it always meant we were together. I created these Eggnog Crème Brûlée Cookies as a tribute to those afternoons. They capture that cozy flavor I grew up with, but turn it into something elegant and new — a soft cookie infused with eggnog and a touch of warm spice, topped with a silky eggnog glaze and a crackly caramelized sugar top. Each bite has the rich nostalgia of the holidays with a little sparkle of creativity. This cookie reminds me that tradition doesn’t have to stay the same to stay special. It’s a blend of my family’s favorite winter drink and my love of baking, a recipe that bridges generations. When I crack through the brûlée top and taste the creamy sweetness underneath, I’m right back in that kitchen — three generations laughing, baking and sharing a glass of eggnog on a cold winter day. — Lauren Wagner, Joliet

Prep time: 20 minutes

Refrigeration time: 30 minutes (optional)

Bake time: 10-12 minutes

Yield: 32 cookies

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup eggnog
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon rum extract (optional)

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons eggnog
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Brûlée topping:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat the butter and sugars until fluffy in a large bowl — about 2–3 minutes. Add the egg, eggnog, vanilla and rum extract (if using) and mix until smooth. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. The dough will be soft — chill it for 30 minutes if it’s too sticky.
4. Scoop about a tablespoon of dough for each cookie and flatten slightly. Bake 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden. Let cool completely.
5. Make the glaze while the cookies cool: whisk powdered sugar, eggnog, vanilla and a pinch of salt until smooth.
6. Spread a teaspoon of glaze on each cookie. Sprinkle the sugar and nutmeg mixture on top and carefully torch it to caramelize, or broil briefly on a low temperature while watching closely. Let it cool for a few minutes until the sugar sets.

Note: We recommend using a torch instead of broiling the cookies.

Third place: MMMM Cookies (Mom‘s Mandelbread Modified for Marty)

My mother was not much of a cook or baker, but she had a few items in regular rotation. One was the Jewish cookie mandelbread — but with an unusual twist. Instead of raisins, nuts, or chocolate chips, Mom used candied fruit and citrus peel (the kind sold around Christmas for fruitcakes) and added that to the dough. She would stock up on candied fruit/peel mix at seasonal sales, and kept them in her cabinet year-round. The cookies were hard and dry — but OK dunked in coffee. (Mom had a pot-a-day caffeine habit, more if the neighbors dropped by for a cup and a chat. And she always pulled a couple of her cookies out of the freezer for them.) Mom is gone now. My husband, Marty, is not a coffee drinker. He never liked Mom’s mandelbread. Too tough and crunchy, and not enough chocolate. I modified the recipe to his favorite flavor combo — orange and chocolate. The added cocoa also changed the texture, resulting in a soft, chocolate cookie with a little citrus kick. Still delicious with a hot mug of coffee, but the MMMM recipe melts in your mouth, with a bit of orange chew. The orange icing is just to make it fancy. I add it only for special occasions. — Elyse Tish, Glenview

Prep time: 15 minutes

Refrigeration time: 2 hours

Bake time: 40 minutes

Yield: 48 cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon orange extract or emulsion
• Zest of one orange
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa (dark)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
• 4 ounces diced candied orange peel

Icing:

• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar (more as needed to get to drizzle texture)
• Zest of one orange (about 1 teaspoon)
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice (more as needed to get to drizzle texture)

Directions:

1. Mix together oil and sugar until combined, then add eggs one at a time. Add orange extract and zest.
2. Sift together all the dry ingredients and add to the sugar/egg mixture.
3. Once the dough is smooth and sticky, add the chocolate chips and candied orange peel in and mix.
4. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
5. Heat oven to 350. Using your hands, take chilled dough and form four long cylinders, each 8-9 inches long. Place two on each of two cookie sheets lined with a baking mat or parchment paper.
6. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.
7. Take the mandelbread out. Cool and then slice the mandelbread about 1/2 inch pieces. If you like a dryer, crunchier cookie, (more biscotti-like) toast the sliced pieces for 15 minutes in a 250-degree Fahrenheit oven.
8. While cookies are cooling, make the icing by mixing powdered sugar, orange zest and juice.
9. When cookies are completely cool, pipe on or drizzle on orange icing. Let icing dry to solid.

Note: When cutting the cookies, we recommend cutting straight across and not on a bias; the cookies will hold their shape better. If you have trouble sourcing the candied orange peel, which is a seasonal item, you can use orange zest instead and double the chocolate chips for additional texture.

For more winning cookie recipes from all four decades of the Tribune’s Holiday Cookie Contest, grab a copy of our cookbook, “Holiday Cookies, 2nd Edition,” at chicagotribune.com/holidaycookies.

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