Every holiday has its festive foods. Some examples would be pumpkin pie for Halloween or Turkey for thanksgiving. Some Christmas season snacks are gingerbread cookies, shortbread, and eggnog. 

My favorite type of Christmas cookies are gingerbread cookies. These originated from medieval times when spices were a sign of wealth as species were really expensive. People in medieval times baked gingerbread cookies to demonstrate their wealth to showcase their selections of species. Gingerbread cookies were also given at the end of a course of a meal and acted as breath mints as it helped sweeten people’s breaths. Today, gingerbread cookies are sweet treats for all people and are also used to make structures such as gingerbread houses.

What do Convent & Stuart Hall students and staff like to make during Christmas?

Winnie Chun says, “Mexican wedding cookies or Snowball cookies that my mom makes.” These are cookies with nuts and coated with powdered sugar. 

“Peanut Butter blossoms,” says Mr. Matt Woodard. These are peanut butter cookies with chocolate in the middle. 

Ms. Lindsay MacGarva likes the “Parker house rolls,” which are made by her grandmother. These are buttery bread rolls and are shaped like Hawaiian bread. 

My favorite holiday drink is hot chocolate as it is a perfect drink when trying to get cozy during a cold, rainy winter night. Here is how you can make it: 

1 serving of hot chocolate

1.5 cup of milk

1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon of granulated sugar

2.5 tablespoons of chocolate chips

1-2 drops of vanilla extract 

2-3 drops of mint extract (optional) 

Instructions

Mix in milk, cocoa powder, sugar and add in chocolate chips when the mixture is warm but not boiling. Once the chocolate chips are melted and mixed in, add in vanilla extract and mint extract. Stir for 1 minute. Pour into a cup and add in marshmallows and candy canes. 

Works Cited

English Heritage. “A Short History of Gingerbread.” *English Heritage*, https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/christmas/a-short-history-of-gingerbread/. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.