Batesville, Indiana's Schmidt Bakery has a tasty tradition nearly 50 years in the making.
Once a year during President's Day weekend, the bakery offers its beloved Cherry Thing-a-Lings, a fried fritter-like donut made with cherries and topped with a sweet cherry glaze. People travel far and wide for the limited-time treat, but last year, the bakery introduced a way to help fans of the famous pastry skip the line.
The bakery now accepts shipping orders so that devoted fans can enjoy the mouth-watering donuts without leaving the house, which we've all gotten quite good at in these "unprecedented times."
Orders must be called in at 812-934-4501; the bakery does not take online orders. The donuts are shipped as one dozen ($34 with shipping) or two dozen ($57 with shipping). Orders will ship out on Feb. 16 and will arrive in 1-2 days.
Schmidt Bakery suggests warming up your Thing-a-Ling in the microwave to enjoy it in its tastiest form.
However, if your Cherry Thing-a-Ling craving can't wait another week, trek less than an hour to the bakery and see how many you can eat on your way back home.
The donuts are available from 4 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 11-13 and Feb. 15. (Sunday, Feb. 14 will be open 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
The bakery has taken COVID precautions into consideration while planning for their fritter pick-up frenzy.
The history behind the famous donut stems from the legend of George Washington chopping down a cherry tree. The bakery began making the donut in the early 1970s. The tradition has gained so much popularity over the decades that they made 125,440 donuts in 2019 and the City of Batesville threw a Cherry Thing-a-Ling festival.
Schmidt Bakery, 125 Batesville Shopping Village, Batesville, Indiana.
