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: “Run Rudolph Run” performed by Chuck Berry.

Recipe: Gingerbread Rolls 

• Total time:
  • 2 hours and 55 minutes
• Makes:
  • 12 rolls
• Ingredients for the dough:
  • One-fourth cup of granulated sugar
  • One tablespoon of dry active yeast (not instant or rapid rise)
  • One teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • Three-fourths teaspoon of ground ginger
  • One-half teaspoon of kosher salt
  • One-eighth teaspoon of ground cloves
  • Three and one-half cups of all-purpose flour, divided
  • One cup of whole milk
  • Two tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the bowl
  • One large egg
  • Two tablespoons of molasses

    

• Ingredients for the dough:
  • One-half cup of packed light brown sugar
  • Six tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
  • One tablespoon of ground cinnamon
  • One and one-half teaspoons of ground ginger
  • One-fourth teaspoon of ground cloves
  • All-purpose flour, for work surface
• Ingredients for the topping:
  • Four ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
  • One-half teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • One and one-third cup of confectioners sugar, divided
  • Two teaspoons of molasses
  • One teaspoon of warm water

• Steps 
  • 1) Whisk together sugar, yeast, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, and one and three-fourths cups flour in a bowl.
  • 2) Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan. 
  • 3) Cook over low heat until the butter has melted and the mixture reads between 105°F and 110°F on an instant-read thermometer.
  • 4) Add milk mixture, egg, and molasses to flour mixture. 
  • 5) Beat with a dough hook attached to a stand mixer, on low speed, until moistened.  Continue beating, gradually adding remaining one and three-fourths cups flour, until smooth and pliable, four to five minutes.
  • 6) Transfer dough to a lightly buttered mixing bowl.
  • 7) Cover with plastic wrap or a towel.  Set bowl in a warm place and let rise until doubled in size, about one hour.
  • 8) Combine brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a bowl.
  • 9) Butter a 9-by-13-inch or 8-by-8-inch baking dish. 
  • 10) On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. 
  • 11) Spread with cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Starting from the long side, roll up into a log.  Cut into 12 (if using a 9-by-13-inch baking dish) or nine (if using an 8-by-8-inch baking dish) pieces and place, cut sides up, in a prepared dish. 
  • 12) Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled in size, about one hour. 
  • 13) Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Bake until cooked through and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
  • 14) Combine cream cheese, vanilla, and one cup confectioners sugar in a bowl. 
  • 15) Whisk together molasses, water, and remaining one-third cup confectioners sugar in a separate bowl. 
  • 16) Spread cream cheese mixture on warm rolls, then drizzle with molasses glaze.

Movie: “Eloise at Christmastime“ 

“The holiday season isn’t complete without Julie Andrews.  She stars in Eloise at Christmastime as the nanny of a spunky 6-year-old named Eloise, who has a mission to reunite two young lovers — while chasing them around the Big Apple,” courtesy of goodhousekeeping.com.

Craft: Toilet Paper Roll Snowman

• Supplies:
  • Clean toilet paper rolls (or a paper towel tube or a gift wrap tube, cut down to size)
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Small googly eyes
  • Small pom poms
  • Ribbon
  • Glue
  • Black and orange Sharpies
  • Scissors

• Instructions:
  • 1) Start by gluing on two googly eyes about a quarter of the way down a toilet paper tube.
  • 2) Cut a length of ribbon (about 8 inches long) and tie it around the toilet paper tube below the eyes to make a scarf.
  • 3) Using the Sharpies, draw a carrot nose, a coal mouth, and buttons on the tube.
  • 4) Cut a 3-inch piece of pipe cleaner and glue pom-poms onto either end of the pipe cleaner to make the earmuffs.
  • 5) Once the glue is dry, bend the pipe cleaner and place the earmuffs around the top of the tube.  Glue the two pom-poms onto either side of the tube to hold the earmuffs in place.

Memory: Payton Sfreddo ‘24 

“My favorite Christmas memory is every year when my mom takes my siblings and I to take a picture with Santa.  We have over 14 pictures from every December of my family with Santa.  It is such a fun tradition because once we take that picture, I am always immediately in the Christmas spirit.”

Featured Image by Charlotte Burchetta ’22