We shouted! We hooted! We jumped up and down! (Mommy even got a little misty)
The winner! Note blue ribbon in the background!
Leandro’s Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies took first prize in the Junior culinary class at the Long Island Fair!
We were completely surprised, because we had made a solemn decision that we didn’t care whether our submissions won. We just wanted our admission tickets (one per submission) and we wanted to be a part of it. We like our own baked goods and we like baking together and winning or losing wouldn’t change that.And then he won!
The calm before the storm. The gorgeous Fair building
We are, of course, very excited, and we are, of course, sharing the recipe. And of course, we had a marvellous day at the fair with Lori, Brendan, Kate, Abu, Padushi, Madrina, and Betsy. It is always a wonderful time and there is one more day left if you haven’t made it yet!
Makes big batches!
Leandro’s Prize-Winning Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, Cranberry, Walnut Cookies
½ Cup plus 6 Tbs butter, softened
¾ firmly packed brown sugar (I like to mix dark and light brown, but use whatever is on hand)
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ Cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
3 Cups quick or old-fashioned oats
½ Cup bittersweet chocolate morsels
½ Cup dried cranberries
¾ Cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until blended and kind of creamy (I don’t have an electric mixer – yet—so I just use a big fork). Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Then add the oats and the fruit and nuts and mix well until all the oats are damp.
Drop rounded tablespoons of dough on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or until light brown. After a minute cooling on the baking sheets, move the cookies to wire cooling racks and cool completely. Store in tightly covered containers.
The right way to celebrate at a fall county fair!
You may also like: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Hot, Cheap & Easy 
Congratulations!
Thanks so much!!!!
I can now say I have an award winning recipe from a very talented young chef. Congratulations!
Thanks so much for the kind words! We are very pleased with ourselves!
As well you should be. 🙂
congratulations! the cookies sound delicious!
Thanks!!!! They were really, really good…
They were worthy of a blue ribbon! Congratulations!
Thank you!!!!
Way to go Leandro! I have a similar recipe with oats, flour & ground almonds sweetened with maple syrup (egg, milk, rye whiskey) and semi-sweet chocolate chips and dried cranberries. And I can’t get enough of them. No wonder the judges selected your entry.
rye whiskey? Interesting!
Great cookies, a handsome prince at work in the kitchen, and a blue ribbon prize! Perfect combo. Way to go, Leandro!!! Sounds like a legitimately prizewinning recipe to me. 😀
Thank you Kathryn! We are v ery pleased!!!
Congratulations – well done 😉
Thanks. From both of us.
Wow, enhorabuena a Leandro!! Las galletas tienen una pinta estupenda y las fotos dejan patente lo bien que lo pasasteis en la feria. Un abrazo 🙂
Gracias, Giovanna! Fue un día espectacular en todo sentido.
Fab combination of Flavours, I’m now Craving them! X
They are delicious! And easy…..try them and see (p.s. sometimes we add raisins too)
Children (except mine , of course ) seem to life raisins don’t they? I’m glad you told me they are easy to do, I like easy! I’m posting a one bowl recipe tonight…easy is best xxx
Amen, Deena!
I was about to say.. you didn’t embarrass him with Mother Shrieking and carrying on and then I saw that shot of him with a face covered in food in the snack tent. I think he will not embarrass easily. Congrats all round!! How wonderful. He has grown.. that precious son of yours.. c
Thanks so much, Cecilia! We were very excited and proud…then he promptly forgot in the excitement of the jugglers and pony rides and large pigs!
how exciting. will have to try the recipe!
Sent from my iPad
They are very yummy cookies!