It's time for 12 Days of Cookies, FoodNetwork.com's annual cookie swap. Each day visit us here on the Dish for a peek at new holiday cookies, party-planning tips and top techniques for rolling, spooning, slicing, baking and decorating delicious sweet treats to give – or keep – from favorite Food Network chefs. Then visit Cooking Channel's blog for great takes on holiday baking from Cooking Channel chefs and Food People alike – cookies by the dozen to celebrate all season.

You won’t be able to help feeling jolly when you get a look at Alton Brown’s Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies. These sweet swirls of peppermint and chocolate dough, jazzed up with bits of candy cane for extra zip, look like something straight from the elves' workshop. All they’re missing is the ribbon and wrap (and maybe a few sleigh bells!).

Get Alton's recipe and check out dozens and dozens of batches in 12 Days of Cookies for more sweet ideas. Then tell us what you're baking.

• Watch Alton whip up these cookies with a little help from Santa.
• See which chefs baked which cookies in past seasons to get inspired for your own baking.
• Cooking Channel is joining in with a baker's dozen of cookies of their own. Today's cookie: Jamie Oliver's Almond Pine Nut Cookies

Melanie Rehak, author of Eating for Beginners, has been baking cookies since she was old enough to climb onto the kitchen stool. She and her family are partial to Zimtsterne—cinnamon stars—for the holidays, but love cookies of all kinds all year long.