A chocolate rosemary shortbread, with an unexpected pink grapefruit glaze, elicited a chorus of "Ohs!" from our tasting panel.

Mexican hot chocolate cookies, dusted with chili powder, delivered a kick with their tender, chewy texture.

Moroccan wedding cookies made cinnamon their centerpiece, to tasty effect.

Other favorites included an almost-healthful, no-bake creation called almond-coconut dark chocolate treats, Italian lemon knots from a 97-year-old reader and a gorgeous chocolate caramel thumbprint that's a favorite of a family known for baking as many as 100 dozen cookies any given December.

Click through to find the recipes for our 10 winners for 2012.