Cooking Channel is joining Food Network for our first annual cookie swap, 12 Days of Cookies. Each day, visit us here for a look 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 chefs and Food People. Then visit FoodNetwork.com/12daysofcookies for great takes on holiday baking from Food Network chefs — cookies by the dozen to celebrate all season.

Ching-He Huang from Chinese Food Made Easy loves cooking with the flavor of sesame, and incorporated it into a very special holiday cookie just for you. Her Chocolate Sesame Balls might just be the coolest international cookie you bake all season.

Each one is coated with an outer layer of crackly, golden sesame seeds, hiding the reserve of luscious dark chocolate that lurks inside. One bite and all its glorious goodness is revealed.

• Make Ching's Chocolate Sesame Balls.
• See who's joining in: Laura Calder, Nigella Lawson, Chuck Hughes and more.
• Food Network is swapping cookies, too.
• Catch Ching on Cooking Channel.
• Share your Holiday cookie pix with us on Facebook.

Melanie Rehak, author of Eating for Beginners, has been baking cookies since she was old enough to climb onto the kitchen stool. She's partial to Zimtsterne—cinnamon stars—for the holidays, but loves most cookies all year long.