During the twelve days until Christmas break, the King Street Chronicle will again present staff favorites from the holiday season. This eighth edition will not include eight maids-a-milking, but beloved Christmas songs, memories, recipes, movies, and crafts.

Song: “Christmas Time is Here“ performed by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.

Recipe: Santa Hat Gingerbread Cupcakes

• Total Time:
  • One hour

• Makes:
  • 16 cupcakes

• Ingredients for cupcake:
  • One stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • Three-fourths cup of molasses
  • One large egg
  • One-half cup of white sugar
  • Two and one-half cups of flour
  • One and one-half teaspoons of baking soda
  • One teaspoon of ginger
  • One-half teaspoon of cloves
  • One-half teaspoon of salt
  • One teaspoon of cinnamon
  • One cup of hot water
  • One-fourth cup of vegetable oil
• Ingredients for gingery buttercream frosting:
  • Two sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • Six cups confectioners’ sugar
  • One tablespoon of ground ginger
  • Two teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • Four tablespoons of whipping cream
  • Ten to 15 drops red food coloring

• Steps:
  • 1) Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a cupcake pan.
  • 2) In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, molasses, and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  • 3) Add in the egg and continue to beat until incorporated.
  • 4) In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
  • 5) In a wet measuring cup, combine the water and oil together.
  • 6) Alternate the dry and wet ingredients into the butter mixture with the mixer on slow to medium.
  • 7) Only beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides.
  • 8) Fill cupcake liners halfway and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.  Do not over bake.
  • 9) Beat the butter and the sugar on high until light and fluffy.
  • 10) Add in the ground ginger and vanilla extract and continue to beat.
  • 11) Add in the whipping cream, one tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is a nice, creamy consistency. 
  • 12) Beat on high, scraping down the sides of the bowl. 
  • 13) Remove one-fourth of the frosting and set aside in a bowl to leave it white for the details on the hat.
  • 14) Add in ten to 15 drops of red dye to the remaining frosting to get the desired red color. 
  • 15) Add both frosting colors (red and white) into separate piping bags to use to make the Santa hat.

Movie: Christmas with the Kranks 

“Another beloved holiday flick featuring Tim Allen (along with Jamie Lee Curtis and Dan Aykroyd)! This one’s about a couple that angers their neighbors when they want to forego Christmas festivities in favor of a cruise,” courtesy of countryliving.com.

Craft: Holiday Shakers

• Supplies
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Silver Cord
  • White Glue
  • Blue Glitter

• Instructions
  • 1) Cut or tear a piece of aluminum foil a few centimeters longer than you want your icicle to be.  Then tear off the lower corners to give a blunt triangle.
  • 2) With the aluminum foil shiny side down fold over the top few centimeters of the flat edge.
  • 3) Make a loop of silver cord and glue it onto the wide end of the folded aluminum foil so it sticks out of the top.
  • 4) Loosely roll the aluminum foil up widthways.
  • 5) When it is rolled, gently squeeze along its length to make the shape of your icicle craft.  Squeeze very gently at the top and very tightly at the bottom.
  • 6) Dab glue over the icicle and sprinkle on glitter.

Memory: Mrs. Sandra Piña de Stewart, Upper School World Language Teacher

“This was the first Christmas that my parents were able to come to the [United States] together and spend it with us.  In Mexico, the Christmas tradition is very important and we celebrate it big.  I remember celebrating at my Grandma’s house.  All my aunts, uncles, and cousins were there.  We used to play and talk while the adults had some food before dinner.  Then we would sit down all together at a super long table.  After dinner, my Grandma used to go upstairs and get a small thin blanket which was to put the baby Jesus on it.  All the cousins used to hold part of the small blanket as we sang lullabies while rocking the baby.  We used to stay up late at night because we all loved this tradition.  We did this right at midnight and then my Grandma placed Jesus in the manger.  The adults would continue chatting and all the cousins would go to bed at my grandma’s house.”

“Some would go to the bedrooms, others would pick a sofa, as others just enjoyed laying down right by the Christmas tree, as we waited for Santa to bring our presents.  We always got a present at my Grandma’s house.  I remember my mom’s voice trying to wake me up, and as I was trying to open my eyes to go home, my blurry vision showed me that Santa had arrived at my Grandma’s house.  It was so exciting.  All of my cousins and I opened the presents, played for a little bit, and then we went home.  Every year we did the same.  The smell of the food, the nativity under the tree, and the water of the village’s river, the lights inside the small houses, and the long table where all my family got together, will always be part of my beloved memories of Mexico and my family.  That Christmas I took the small blanket I have to sing lullabies to Jesus with my girls, as I remember myself with my Grandma, surrounded by the chocolate smell, the pine smell, the laughter, and my Grandma’s voice and eyes singing to Jesus.”