During the 12 days until Christmas break, the King Street Chronicle will again present staff favorites from the holiday season.  This second edition will not include two turtle doves, but beloved Christmas songs, memories, recipes, movies, and crafts.

Song: “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” performed by Ms. Mariah Carey. 

Recipe: Sticky Toffee Pudding

Total Time: Two hours and 20 minutes

Quantity: Six Toffee Pudding Cakes

Ingredients for Toffee Sauce:

• Two and one-half cups of heavy cream 
• One stick of unsalted butter
• One-half cup of light corn syrup
• One cup granulated sugar

Ingredients for the Cake:

• Six ounces of pitted dates (about seven dates)
• Three-fourths of a cup of water
• Three-fourths of a cup and two tablespoons all-purpose flour
• One teaspoon of baking powder
• One-fourth of a teaspoon of baking soda
• One pinch of salt
• Four tablespoons of unsalted butter (softened)
• Three-fourths of a cup packed light brown sugar
• One large egg
• One-half teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, corn syrup, and sugar with the one and one-fourth cups of cream. Bring to a boil.  Cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently until a deep amber caramel forms for about 40 minutes.  Carefully whisk in the remaining 11/4 cups of cream and strain the sauce through a sieve into a bowl.
• In a small saucepan, simmer the dates in the water over moderately low heat until the water is nearly absorbed and the dates are soft, about 15 minutes.  Transfer the dates and any other liquid remaining to a food processor and puree until smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lightly butter six and one-half cups of ramekins.  In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and vanilla, then beat in the date puree.  At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients.  Spoon the batter into the ramekins and smooth the tops.  Bake for a minimum of 20 minutes.  Let it cool slightly.
• Using a small serrated knife, trim the tops of the cakes level with the rims of the ramekins. Unmold the cakes and invert them onto a wire rack.  Slice each cake in half horizontally.  Wipe out the ramekins and spoon one tablespoon of the toffee sauce into each.  Return the bottom layers of the cakes to the ramekins, cut side up.  Spoon another tablespoon of the toffee sauce over the cakes and spread evenly.  Place the ramekins on the baking sheet and bake for ten minutes, or until the toffee is bubbling around the edges.
• Let the puddings cool for five minutes, then run a thin-bladed knife around the insides of the ramekins.  Invert each pudding onto a dessert plate.  Rewarm the remaining toffee sauce and spoon some around the puddings.  Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Movie: Holiday Rush

“A widowed radio DJ is fired from his job just before Christmas.  He and his four children, after being forced to move in with his aunt, discover the true meaning of the season as they adjust to a new lifestyle,” courtesy of goodhousekeeping.com.

Craft: Wood Slice Snowman Christmas Ornament

Supplies:

• Orange and black markers
• Toothpick
• Ribbon
• Two twigs
• Twine
• Scissors
• Wood Slices
• Glue gun

Instructions:

• Hot glue two wood slices together.  Make sure one wood slice is slightly larger than the other. 
• Cut the twine into a seven-inch piece and fold it in half to create a loop.  Glue the ends to the smaller wood slice.
• Use the twigs to create arms and glue them to the larger wood slice.
• Flip the wood slices over and use the black marker to make dots for the eyes (smaller wood piece) and the buttons (larger wood piece).
• Color in the end of the toothpick with the orange marker.
• Cut the orange portion of the toothpick and hot glue it onto the snowman’s head to create a nose.
• Cut an eight-inch length of ribbon and cut a fringe in both ends.  Tie the ribbon around the snowman’s neck and secure it with hot glue. 
• Hang the ornament on your tree.

Memory: Phoebe Zecca ’24

“This is a picture of the view from my grandmother’s childhood home in Dublin, Ireland.  This photo was taken in 2018, the year when all of my relatives met in Ireland for two weeks for Christmas.  We hadn’t celebrated this holiday with our whole family in the past, so this trip made Christmas especially memorable that year.  My grandma grew up in a house overlooking the ocean, and was so excited to show all of her grandchildren where she lived as a child.  This picture shows how important it is to be together with your family during the Christmas season, and the significance of sharing a family history with your relatives.” 

Featured Image by Giada Coviello ’24