2007 Cranberry Festival Food Fair Queen of the Kitchen Judy Ezell submitted three entries, but this recipe won over the judges and was awarded first place:

Cranberry Sweet Rolls

 11⁄4 cups sugar, divided

 1⁄2 cup water

 2 cups cranberries

 1 teaspoon grated orange peel

 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast

 1⁄2 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)

 1⁄2 cup butter or margarine, softened

 1⁄2 cup milk

 2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

11⁄2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

Melted butter or margarine

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1⁄2 of a 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1⁄2 teaspoon milk

In a saucepan, bring 3⁄4 cup sugar and water to a boil. Add cranberries; return to boil. Boil uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in orange peel; cover and chill. In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the next six ingredients, remaining sugar and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Roll into a 15x10-inch rectangle; brush with butter. Spread cranberry filling over dough to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up, jelly roll style, starting at a long side. Cut into 15 slices; place, cut side down, in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Cool in pan 5 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool.

Beat frosting ingredients until smooth; spread over warm rolls.

Yield: 15 servings

Second-place winner Trish Shropshire, a dance teacher at MarLo Dance Studio in Bandon, got this recipe from her mother, who uses any fruit in season for the filling.

Cranberry Blueberry Cake

2 cups cranberries

1 cup water

3⁄4 to 1 cup of sugar, depending on taste (the sugar cookie base is sweet, so less sugar in the cranberries makes for a more tart filling).

Cook cranberries until berries pop and it makes a sauce. Let it cool and thicken. Make a batch of sugar cookie dough (Trish uses the sugar cookie dough in the Betty Crocker cookbook, but any recipe will do).

Crumb topping

1 cup sugar

1⁄4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces

6 Tablespoons flour

A handful of oatmeal (about 1⁄4 cup)

Cinnamon to taste

1⁄2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Work all ingredients into a crumbly mixture with fingers. Press sugar cookie dough into a 13x9-in pan. Spread cranberry mixture on top of dough. Sprinkle 11⁄2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries on top. Sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Good with ice cream or whipped cream, or just a cup of good coffee.