FN Dish – Food Network Blog: Go behind-the-scenes at Food Network featuring your favorite chefs, shows, recipes, events and more.

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’ll never look at peanut butter and jelly the same way after trying Sunny Anderson’s thumbprint cookies. Ingredients that might seem humble become festive when you make a peanut butter cookie dough, roll each ball in sugar for a sparkly effect, then add a dollop of strawberry preserves in the center before baking. Just like that, a staple of childhood lunches is transformed into a grown-up dessert.

Get Sunny’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.

• Hosting a cookie swap? Sunny and Food Network friends show you how to pull it off like a star.
• 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: Matt Armendariz’s Salted Caramel Almond Thumbprint 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.