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Cookies? Pie? How about both?

A flea market delicacy of cookie dough and pie crusts makes its state fair debut, joining other radical sweets.

By DONG-PHUONG NGUYEN
Published February 11, 2005

[Times photo: Stefanie Boyar] Florida State Fair vendor Tony Lambele shows off a tray of coopies, his own creation which marries a cookie with a pie. Lambele, who manages the Big Top Flea Market, came up with the idea about six months ago. He even wrote a children's story about the coopie for his 2 1/2-year-old son, Thomas.

[Times photo: Stefanie Boyar] Coopies, a cross between cookies and pies, are 3 inches wide and cost $3 each. They come in two flavors: chocolate chip with fudge or macadamia nut with caramel.

TAMPA - As a member of the Iowa State Fair board, Don Greiman has seen and eaten it all, from fried Twinkies to fried Oreos to anything on a stick.

"You name it, I've tried it," he said Thursday, the opening day of the Florida State Fair.

But that was before Greiman ran into the "coopie."

This year, the coopie appears to be the big break-out item at the State Fair. The cross between a cookie and a pie was invented six months ago by the manager of a local flea market.

"It's good," Greiman said, taking a bite of the 3-inch treat. "We need to bring it to Iowa."

Greiman said another new item at the Florida State Fair this year, meatballs on a stick with Parmesan dipping sauce, debuted in Iowa last year.

But this was the first he had heard of a coopie.

It would fit right in with the gluttonously high-fat offerings state fairs are known for, he said, as his wife, Yvonne, nodded in agreement.

Inventor Tony Lambele said the idea came to him about six months ago as he lay in bed at 3 a.m.

He wrote a children's story about the coopie for his 21/2-year-old son, Thomas. Thus, the coopie was born.

There are currently two flavors of coopies: chocolate chip with fudge and white macadamia nut with caramel.

Lambele, who unveiled the coopie at the Big Top Flea Market,where he is manager, fills a 3-inch pie crust with either fudge or caramel, followed by ready-made cookie dough.

In the oven it goes, out comes the coopie.

Lambele's wife, Susan, said it's not the fair food that has doomed her diet.

For the past six months, she has had to serve as official coopie taste tester.

She's the one who suggested he add fudge between the pie crust and the cookie dough.

"I just love chocolate," she said. "If the world were made of chocolate, I would've eaten it all."

Thursday, during a blustery fair opening, Karen Morrow, a pie crust fanatic, came from Sarasota just to try the $3 nuggets.

"They're delicious," she said. "I like anything sweet."

Her husband, Don, resisted. He's on the Atkins diet.

"I'll stick to the steaks," he said.

Don Morrow had plenty of options. This year, the fair has more than 90 concession stands offering more than 200 foods, including fried cheesecake, footlong corn dogs and elephant ears, cotton candy, turkey legs and cinnamon buns.

Nicole Brannen and her family chomped down on roasted corn.

"The fair is pure sugar," said Brannen, of Baker County, whose son is showing cows.

They stayed clear of the coopie.

"There's sugar everywhere we turn!"

The 2005 Florida State Fair runs through Feb. 21 at the Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S. 301 N, Tampa. Gate admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-11 and free for children age 5 and under. Fairgrounds parking is free. For details, go to www.floridastatefair.com or call 1-800-345-3247.

[Last modified February 11, 2005, 22:29:17]