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Good morning, Minnesota! Last night I learned that, try as I might, I'll never really be into musicals. Alas 🧙 On to the news 📢

Dennis Becker/For The Minnesota Star Tribune

They're finally here.

The winners of the Minnesota Star Tribune's annual cookie contest have arrived. And, as you can expect, the triumphant concoctions represent a multitude of sensibilities.

In one batch, cranberry and lime curds reign supreme. In another, you'll chomp on raspberry bits. And in yet a third, get ready for a unique take on good old-fashioned s'mores.

Might this be the first holiday season I take it upon myself to bake something? I typically consider myself too clumsy and prone to improvisation in the kitchen to attempt something that requires as much precision as baking does. But the recipe for Malt-O-Mazing Holiday Cookies sounds too good to pass up.

You can check out all the scrumptious recipes at the links below.

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Nancy Ngo/The Minnesota Star Tribune

We’ve been waiting for this day for months! Today we unveil the winners of this year’s Holiday Cookie Contest, and I hope you’re as excited as we are about this year’s batch. Our winning cookie, Elf Thumbprints from Heather Pfeiffer of Chaska, is everything a baker could ask for: It’s easy to make, looks festive on a cookie tray and is melt-in-your mouth delicious.

This year we also have our youngest finalist, 9-year-old Abe Smith, proving Minnesota’s baking future is in good hands. And while we will eagerly be baking this year’s winners (again), we will keep the Cookie Finder bookmarked for easy access to 22 years of cookie contest recipes.

Take a well-earned break from holiday baking to visit the Twin Cities’ newest crop of sports bars. Assistant Taste editor and Vikings superfan Nancy Ngo has a rundown of what to expect, from food (French fries and caviar!) and drink to what’s playing on the screens.

Be sure to check out the latest restaurant openings, too: go fast-casual at Saturday Dumpling Co. or Wrad pizza, and starting today Revival in St. Paul is taking on Chicago hot beefs and thin-crust pizza as it rebrands to Revival Bar. But don’t panic, the fried chicken is staying.

@celiumbound via Bluesky

If there's one thing about winter in the Midwest that takes some getting used to, it's the fact that my sunglasses never stay stashed away for very long. That's a marked contrast to the Pacific Northwest, where overcast skies are the name of the game during the coldest months of the year.

Yet there's something alluring about the sight of a deep blue sky set amid below-freezing temperatures. I can't quite find a word for the sensation, yet Bluesky user @celiumbound encapsulates it in this photo array from around Minneapolis.

I'm sincerely bummed about this weekend's high temperatures creeping above freezing.

Eder Campuzano, reporter

David Taintor, editor