During the twelve days until Christmas break, the King Street Chronicle will again present staff favorites from the holiday season.  This fourth edition will not include four calling-birds, but beloved Christmas songs, memories, recipes, movies, and crafts.

Song: “Winter Things” performed by Mrs. Ariana Grande

Recipe: Vegan Peppermint Mocha Cake 

Total time: One hour

Quantity: 16 servings

Ingredients for cake:

• One cup unsweetened almond milk (or soy)
• One tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Two cups all-purpose flour
• One and three-fourths cups granulated sugar
• A three-fourths cup dark cocoa powder
• Two teaspoons baking powder
• One and one-half teaspoons baking soda
• One teaspoon salt
• One-half cup canola oil
• Two-thirds cup unsweetened applesauce
• Two teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• One teaspoon peppermint extract
• One cup hot coffee

Ingredients for peppermint frosting:

• One cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
• Three cups powdered sugar
• Two to three tablespoons almond or soy milk
• One teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• One-half teaspoon peppermint extract
• One-fourths to one-half cup crushed candy canes

Steps:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease two eight-inch cake pans.  (Optional) Line them with parchment rounds for easy removal of the cakes later.

2) Measure one cup of unsweetened almond milk and add the tablespoon of vinegar to it.  Stir slightly and set aside to curdle.

3) In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk well to combine.

4) Now add the oil, applesauce, vanilla, peppermint, and almond milk/vinegar mixture.  Mix on medium speed with a hand mixer until well combined.

5) Lower the speed and carefully pour in the hot coffee, continuing to mix into the cake batter until combined.  The batter will seem very runny at this point.

6) Divide the batter evenly between your cake pans.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  After 10 minutes of cooling in the pan, carefully remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool completely before frosting.

7) For the peppermint frosting:

• In a large bowl, beat the vegan butter with an electric mixer until creamy.
• Gradually add the powdered sugar, about one-half cup at a time, until all the powdered sugar is mixed in.
• With the mixer on low-medium speed, add the non-dairy milk, one tablespoon at a time.  Add the vanilla and peppermint as well, and increase the speed to high.  Beat for about 30 seconds, until light and fluffy.
• If the frosting seems too thick, you can add more non-dairy milk, one tablespoon at a time.  If the frosting is too thin and runny, simply add more powdered sugar, one-half cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
• Frost the cake and decorate with crushed candy canes as desired.  You can also put a sprinkle of crushed candy canes in the middle layer of the cake as well.

Movie: Eloise at Christmastime

“Eloise sets off celebrating the season in her own irrepressible style.  Whether it’s helping coordinate a Christmas Eve wedding because ‘Getting married on Christmas Eve is the most romantic thing,’ shopping for the entire staff of the hotel, or helping a neighbor save her home, Eloise has a ‘to do’ list as long as her Christmas list,” courtesy of movies.disney.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craft: DIY Honeycomb Christmas Bulbs 

Supplies:

• Honeycomb balls
• Scissors
• Cardboard tube
• Hot glue
• Gold tinsel
• Ribbon
• Masking tape

 

Instructions:

1) Draw a half-bulb shape onto your folded honeycomb ball.  This pretty much means it will be wider at the top and narrower with a bottom (though it won’t come to a perfect point).  Cut along your line through all layers.

2) To make the fancy top, cut a piece of a paper towel roll about one and a half inch wide.  Run a line of hot glue all the way around and adhere a piece of tinsel.

3) Once your top is done, set it aside.  Take a piece of ribbon and carefully tape it to the top of your bulb, right alongside that inner edge.

4) Now slip your gold topper over the ribbon and tape it to your ribbon on one side.

 

Memory: Caroline Fouts ’24

“One of my favorite Christmas memories is coming together with my friends and participating in Secret Santa.  I enjoy giving gifts to my close friends and experiencing the surprise of the event.  I love making memories with my friends during this special time of year.”