These cookies are the best of the best

This recipe from Jennifer Smith of Apex tied for first place in the chocolate candies category of the 2016 Holiday Treat Contest. It also tied for the contest’s grand prize winner.

BUTTER the sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan. In the saucepan, combine butter, sugar and evaporated milk. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for exactly 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low.

ADD marshmallows, dark chocolate, Grand Marnier and orange zest to the saucepan mixture. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in the dried cranberries and beat by hand for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Cover and chill about 3 hours or until firm.

LINE a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Shape the chilled chocolate mixture into 1-inch balls. Place balls on the prepared cookie sheet. Cover and chill in refrigerator for about 1 hour or until firm.

MICROWAVE in a medium microwave-safe bowl the semisweet chocolate and the shortening until melted and smooth, usually 1 minute, stir and then see if it needs more time. Cool slightly.

DIP chocolate balls, one at a time, into the melted chocolate, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Return the chocolate dipped balls to the cookie sheet and sprinkle tops with the sea salt. Chill for about 30 minutes or until the chocolate is set.

This recipe from Barbara Lewandowski of Cary won second place in the “Other Cookie” category in 2015.

HEAT oven to 325 degrees.

COMBINE flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Use two forks or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is reduced to the size of peas. Add eggs and vanilla to the dough mixture and mix well. Chill between 1/4 to 1/3 of dough for lattice topping.

PRESS remaining dough onto bottom and sides of an ungreased 151/2-by-101/2-inch jelly roll pan. Spread half of dough with apricot preserves and the other half with raspberry preserves.

ROLL chilled remaining dough on slightly floured board or countertop and cut into 1/2 strips. Place strips diagonally across preserves to form a lattice. Press around edge to seal.

PLACE in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until edges start to turn brown

CUT into squares; larger for dessert portion, smaller for cookie bars. Refrigerate any leftovers.

The grand prize-winning recipe in the 2014 Holiday Treat Contest. First-place winner in the “Other Candy” category by Gina Bowman of Raleigh. Bowman also won for her Insanely Delicious Turtle Cookies in the “Drop Cookie” category.

LINE a 9-inch square pan with parchment or wax paper, allowing paper to drape over two sides to create a sling that will help remove caramels later. Spray paper lightly with cooking spray.

BRING butter, heavy whipping cream, whiskey, vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; set aside.

MIX sugar, corn syrup and water in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Do not stir. Boil until sugar turns a warm golden brown.

WHEN sugar mixture reaches 310 degrees on a candy thermometer, turn off heat and slowly add cream mixture. Be careful; it will bubble up violently. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 248 degrees. Pour caramel into pan; cool 10 minutes. Sprinkle with up to 1 tablespoon salt; cool completely.

CUT into squares; wrap individually in parchment paper.

This recipe won the “Other Candy and Brittle” category in our 2013 Holiday Treats contest. From James Mullins of Hampton Roads, Va.

LINE a medium or large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

COOK bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels. Chop finely and reserve.

COMBINE sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, water and salt in a deep-sided 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, about 10-12 minutes. Fold in pecans and turn heat up to medium-high. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 300°F on a candy thermometer, about 10-13 minutes.

REMOVE pot from the heat and stir in reserved bacon, butter or margarine and baking soda until well mixed.

POUR mixture onto prepared baking sheet and spread as thinly as possible with a heat-proof spatula. Let cool until hardened, about 30 minutes. Break into pieces to serve.

HEAT butter, brown sugar and water in saucepan until butter is melted. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Pour into a large bowl and cool 10 minutes.

MIX eggs into chocolate mixture, then add flour, soda and salt and stir just until blended.

CHILL dough for an hour. (Don’t worry that the dough seems a little bit oily; it turns out fine once baked.)

HEAT oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking pads. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

BAKE cookies for about 11 minutes or when the small cracks that form on the cookies look a little wet inside. Remove from oven and immediately place an Andes mint on each cookie. After they melt, swirl each one with an offset spatula (think of it like spreading frosting on a cake but with an Andes mint instead). Remove cookies from cookie sheet and let them cool until chocolate is solid.

These cookies from Erin Czmiel of Cary won the 2012 grand prize.

HEAT oven to 375 degrees.

COMBINE flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Use two butter knives or a pastry cutter to cut butter into the flour mixture until the size of small peas. Make a well in the center. Combine egg and 1/4 cup milk; add all at once to the flour-butter mixture. Stir until moistened.

ROLL dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Use 2-inch round or star cookie cutter to cut dough. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the bottom is brown. Cool on a wire rack.

PLACE about 1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam on the bottom of cookie and top with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies.

STIR powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 to 3 tablespoons milk in a small bowl to create a glaze. Spread on top of each sandwich cookie. Use a paintbrush to paint a few holly leaves and a stem with the green food coloring and holly berries with the red food coloring.