It’s no secret that the holidays are going to be a little different this year. Many large gatherings will probably be put on hold + traditional celebrations may have to adjust. However, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, we don’t want Lakeland to lose sight of our tight-knit community.

Oftentimes, food and community go hand-in-hand. We gather together around the dinner table and make + share meals with those we care for. Since physical gatherings may not be possible for the time being, we’ve decided to help our community share food + come together virtually.

We’re working on compiling recipes from our readers + creating a Lakeland cookbook to share with the community in time for the holidays. If you have a perfect pumpkin pie recipe, go-to green bean casserole or favorite holiday flavor, we want to hear about it.

Send us an email (and photos if you have any) or fill out the form below with your recipe to be included in our LALtoday cookbook.

Need a little inspiration? Check out this Italian Cherry Cookies Recipe LALtoday Reader Dawn C. graciously shared with us when we were all baking our mitts off during the beginning of the pandemic.

Italian Cherry Cookies | Photo via LALtoday Reader Dawn C.

Ingredients

½ cup Crisco
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup chopped maraschino cherries
3 drops red food coloring
3 cups flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
2 cups confectioners sugar to roll cookies in after cool
2-3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice to mix, with leftover confectioners sugar after rolling to make a little glaze to drizzle over cookies after they are rolled in confectioners sugar

Instructions

Mix wet ingredients first, and then add in dry
Drop with a small cookie scoop or roll in 1-in. balls onto a cookie sheet
Bake for 10-12 min. At 350°F
Cool and then roll in confectioners sugar
Mix cherry juice and leftover confectioners sugar using a fork
Just drizzle a little cherry glaze on each cookie for a little color

Add to the cookbook

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