Now, when I was a kid and I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar, I sort of turned red, shrugged my shoulders and take my hand out of the cookie jar.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House

Now, you know, when I was a kid, and I got my hand caught in the cookie jar -- (laughter) -- well, my face sort of turned red and I took my hand out of the cookie jar. (Laughter.) Not Governor Romney.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House

The cookie to emerge from my auditions this year is a tri-color butter cookie: a layer of red, green and white dough rolled and sliced into a gorgeous swirl.

NPR: Pursuit of the Perfect Christmas Cookie

My search through the cookie universe is worth it, however, and I'm not alone.

NPR: Pursuit of the Perfect Christmas Cookie

After the stridently messy Cookie and a few forays into spacey jazz, the recent The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams includes guest appearances by everyone from Pat Metheny to Oumou Sangare.

NPR: MeShell NdegeOcello in Concert