For the JFK Community
Achievements thinktotimeAhead’,‘Thinkabout futurethe inSpringtime Prague Yo estoy comprometido con el medio ambiente
SPORTSJFK
A World of Cookies Entrevista Alexa Robles-Gil JFK Golf Thank you Sponsors! 2022-2023 School Year books’ acquisition
Entrevista/Cristina Vergara EmmaGutierrez Award Winner,2023
“ServicioSocialenla comunidad ElObraje” Farewells:MissLupita, MissBlanquita,Doña Chabe
We are a Certified Green School!
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EDITOR IN CHIEF
Mónica Duarte Balcárcel
MANAGING EDITOR
Jensena Fernández Buendía
MANAGING EDITOR
Martha Suárez
WRITERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
Antonio Benítez, Alexa Robles-Gil, Eloísa de Santiago, Marlene Cruz, Stuart Porter, Verónica Díaz.
GENERAL DIRECTOR
Adrian Leece MA, BSc, FRMtS
ASSISTANT GENERAL DIRECTOR
Dave Brown
PRESCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Debra Cortney MA
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Mark Dunn M. Ed.,MA
MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Camille Casses
HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Stuart Porter
PHYSICAL EDUCATION DIRECTOR
Arturo Bustamante BSc
FINANCIAL DIRECTOR
Dra. Josefina Morgan
OPERATIONS AND SERVICES DIRECTOR
Jeffrey Lewis MIM
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
C.P. Fernando Besoy Lloreda
Lic. Luis Daniel Ruíz López
Lic. Mónica Franco Hernández
Ing. José Antonio Blanco Carrillo
Lic. Jean Soupart
Lic. Paula Fernanda Herrera Baleón
Lic. Abel Mejía Cosenza
Lic. Cristina Fortuny Escámez
Lic. Eduardo Jacobo Córdova Lucas.
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Mónica Duarte
Martha Suárez
Violeta Álvarez
Eglantina Gutiérrez
Andrea Barroso
It is with great pleasure and some relief that I am now introducing this edition of JFK Times. The pleasure is because it is always exciting and interesting to turn the pages and see what our students, staff and parents have written about… all the fantastic things happening around the school that are just so much more than a great curriculum. It is with relief because when I think back to the pandemic and our hopes and doubts for pulling through it and returning to normal, I am just so relieved that we really do seem to have ‘turned the corner’ on this one. Even though this year has not been quite as easy as we had hoped, and that the return to normal activities gave us new
challenges, it is just such a privilege to be a part of this great community as we once more get back into stride! This year has been a great success because of the determination of everyone: staff, students and families. As we moved from virtual learning to socially-distanced events to being ‘back on track’, we must all agree we have come a long way in a short time. I do hope you enjoy this edition, and learn from the stories, comments and discussions by all our contributors. We have a lot to celebrate, and I think that this edition will help us all be a part of that! We always look forward to receiving ideas for inclusion in the next edition of JFK Times, and if wish to be a part of this process please let us know.
In the meantime: please enjoy the pages ahead!
Best wishes, Adrian
Leece General DirectorEste ciclo escolar estuvo lleno de retos para el Departamento de Sports. Teníamos la incertidumbre de qué tantos de nuestros alumnos regresarían a las actividades deportivas después de un receso de casi 3 años sin competencia o actividad formal, sin embargo, nos encontramos en una comunidad que prioriza la salud física a través de las actividades deportivas.
Recibimos en nuestros diferentes programas deportivos a 700 alumnos interesados en disfrutar, aprender, conocer y competir en cada uno de sus deportes favoritos. Se pudieron reactivar las ligas locales, regionales y nuestros eventos ASOMEX, donde participamos en disciplinas como Fútbol Soccer, Baloncesto, Voleibol, Natación y Atletismo.
En las ligas locales, donde participamos con el 80% de nuestros equipos, estuvimos jugando las finales durante el primer semestre del año y en muchas nos coronamos campeones. Cabe resaltar que la reactivación fue mejor de lo esperado gracias al compromiso de los alumnos y las familias por otorgar nuevamente esos espacios de aprendizaje fuera del aula que tanto extrañábamos.
By Antonio Benitez Sports CoordinatorResaltamos momentos importantes, pero lo más valioso y que está por encima del resultado deportivo, es ver cómo los alumnos que participan en deportes y tienen la oportunidad de participar en un evento ASOMEX, generan un aprendizaje significativo en su formación personal al viajar, convivir con los amigos y llevar una disciplina que les desarrolle valores.
Valores como trabajo en equipo, tolerancia a la frustración, confianza en sí mismos, responsabilidad y sobre todo, en la toma de decisiones, que si bien a veces son intangibles, en algunos momentos son las conversaciones y acciones que les quedan marcadas cuando dialogas con ellos.
En resultados, destacamos la participación del equipo de Voleibol femenil de 6º a 8º grado, que además de conseguir un tercer lugar en ASOMEX, calificó por primera vez en la historia de los equipos de la escuela a un evento nacional de la CONADEIP , donde participan escuelas privadas a nivel nacional, obteniendo un decoroso 8º lugar nacional. Creemos que es un logro a resaltar por el proceso que este equipo, que aún con el receso ha logrado alcanzar. Sin demeritar el tercer lugar de Soccer femenil de alumnas de 9º y 10º, los dos trofeos al espíritu deportivo obtenidos por las alumnas de Voleibol de 4º a 6º y de 9º a 12º.
El tercer lugar nacional en CONADEIP de natación que obtuvo Oscar Chávez alumno de High School. Las más de 20 medallas que obtuvieron nuestros nadadores en ASOMEX y a cada uno de los equipos que participaron dando su mejor esfuerzo y dejando muy en alto el nombre de JFK.
Qué mejor manera de cerrar que con una edición más de JAGUAR CUP donde vimos en las canchas a cada uno de nuestros equipos disfrutando, divirtiéndose y sobre todo dando lo mejor de sí para ser orgullosamente JAGUARS.
During the current school year, we received an extraordinary budget of three million pesos, which represented a great challenge to exercise it expeditiously and in a way that covered the academic, recreational, and professional development needs of Preschool, Elementary, Middle School, and High School.
By Eloisa de Santiago LMC Head Librarian
We dedicated a portion to acquiring resources in Spanish, and we also considered the acquisition of materials in languages other than English and Spanish. We rely on one vendor service to select a large part of the books we acquire, considering that its catalog is very broad and covers the needs of IB schools in the continuum range (K-12) pretty well. With this arrival, our collections have been substantially enriched and renewed. We selected great picture books, graphic novels, social-emotional learning materials, nonfiction, novels, reference, biographies, art, and more to support the curricula and recreation through all the school grades.
We hope the whole JFK community will take advantage of and enjoy all those new books!
Think Ahead is the time of year when 10th graders, with the help of some school activities, staff and their families, choose their IB Diploma subjects that they will take in their 11th and 12th grade. Think Ahead is all about taking the time to really think about the future, before you take a really important decision, because their choice will naturally have an impact on their options when applying to a university. Our students need to choose their IB Diploma subjects in combinations that make sense for future university studies either in Mexico or in different countries. Generally, they fell into four areas:
1. Physics, Math & Engineering
By Stuart Porter High School Principal3. Economics and Business Administration
2. Life & Health Sciences
4. Arts, Humanities or Flexible
In order to help students make this decision, the teachers made a website full of information about each subject, which was launched six weeks before the decisions were made. Then, around a month before the decision days, I visited each 10th grade classroom to explain to students what they needed to do, and they reflected on what they might want to study. I also invited all 10th grade parents to a conference either in person or online, to explain the situation and choices to them. A week later, all 10th grade students were invited to the Think Ahead Subject Fair, where they could hear from current DP students about the benefits of studying each class, as well as examples of work. They asked a lot of questions!
22%
26%
Then, after thinking about their choices over the Easter break, we invited them to give us their final choices. We were really happy to report that almost all of the students came to their appointment very sure about what they wanted, having given it a lot of thought. Every single student was able to get their first choice combination of subjects, which was excellent, and the distribution was as follows: 1.
It was a great success and I’m very happy for the students!
CAS is one of the main components of the International Baccalaureate program, which allows young people to develop a longlasting attitude towards life, openness to the reality that surrounds us, as well as personal commitment to members of the local, national and international community. Eleven of our 11th and 12th grade students had the opportunity to experience the multicultural IB CAS program “Creativity, Activity and Service” in Prague.
Ninety-six students participated in this enriching program, representing schools from Ecuador, Arab
by Verónica Díaz Lope CAS Coordinator
Among the Service activities they carried out were:
• Sustainable Design Challenge. They conducted interviews with citizens to detect needs in the community. With that information, they came up with possible solution proposals to regenerate an underdeveloped area of Prague. (Pics 1 & 2)
• Organic Urban Farming. Exhibition and work on an organic farm of plants and animals. (Pics 3
• Homeless Cooking. With a 200 euros budget, our students were able to cook, share food, and interact with people in need. (Pics 5
• Homeless Walking Tour. They got to know Prague from a completely different perspective, by listening to the homeless’ stories. They discovered the harsh reality of homeless life. (Pic 7).
2 3
4
5 6 7
They had the opportunity to listen and expose social problems experienced in different countries, discussing alternative solutions and reflecting on how we can all contribute locally to these global situations. Issues such as environmental care, quality education, poverty, hunger and gender equity were among those that attracted the most attention.
There were also activities related to the Creativity component, such as enjoying a classical music concert, learning about urban art and making their own graffiti. With the Activity component, which involves physical effort for health care, they practiced Hip Hop and Yoga. (Pics 10 & 11)
It was an experience in which time was also allotted to learn about the history of Prague and explore its emblematic places through a rally with riddles and different dynamics, which allowed to create an environment where multiculturalism, solidarity, respect and empathy were reflected among all participants.
(Pic 12)
“The CAS program in Prague was an eye-opening experience that changed my perspective on many global issues and challenges that we live with every day. It also taught us how to take part and action to apply our knowledge and time, transforming it into something very valuable and useful for society.”
Sofía Pescador 12°“The CasTrips program in Prague was an experience that showed me that any place, in any country is perfect, there will always be flaws in all systems. It does not matter where you come from and the differences you may have with others, whether physical or cultural, together doing small actions can lead to a big change.”
Juan Carlos Mazzoni 12°
“The CAS Trip to Prague was truly one of the best experiences of my life. I had the opportunity to explore another part of the world, interact with people from different cultures, practice my second language, and learn a lot about other languages. I was able to discover new things about myself and my approach to the world. It was an experience that helped me to grow by gaining a new perspective on many situations that shape our reality. Those were truly days that I will never forget, the camaraderie, the activities, the laughter, the tears. It was all worth it.”
Sofia Avila 11°“This incredible opportunity we had to travel to Prague with CAS Trips was one of the best possible experiences for me. It was amazing to learn about other cultures and interact with people from around the world. At the same time, we were able to get to know Prague’s culture through various creativity, activity, and service projects. It was a highly enriching experience.”
Pao Vázquez 11°“The trip to Prague left a great mark on me. Living this experience allowed me to rediscover values that I consider extremely important, such as respect and empathy for others. This program made me aware of all the great opportunities life has given to me, and I am truly grateful for all of them. This experience changed my perspective on what is most important in life and also helped me to define the kind of life I want to have. This trip also allowed me to reflect on how I want to close this stage of life that has been so important, by taking the tools that will be useful for me within the real world and leaving behind all the unnecessary.”
Cassandra Merino 12°“It was a really amazing experience going on this CAS trip to Prague, not only for getting to know a whole new country and its culture, but also getting to know the ways in which we can support communities in need. This CAS trips project has motivated me a lot to help my local communities, and even international communities. It was also very fun getting to know people from countries that were completely different from mine, getting to know their culture and language.”
Maria Jose Fenton 11°I’m a Jaguar, I don’t vape
Hace dos años cuando iniciamos el ciclo escolar, recuerdo que lanzamos la convocatoria para que nuestros alumnos se inscribieran al Ecoclub. En el Comité Ambiental, formado por maestros voluntarios, teníamos nuestras dudas si íbamos a tener inscritos pues se iba a impartir en horarios extracurriculares. Para nuestra sorpresa iniciamos con un total de
49 alumnos de diferentes secciones. Hoy en día tenemos 60 alumnos, lo cual representa un gran logro, ver cada ciclo escolar más niños y jóvenes que están comprometidos con el medio ambiente. En el Ecoclub nos divertimos, jugamos, reflexionamos, pero sobre todo actuamos con acciones a favor de nuestra casa, nuestro planeta tierra.
by Marlene Cruz Coordinadora del programa ambiental y Ecoclub
A lo largo de este ciclo 22-23 el Programa Ambiental de nuestra escuela ha tenido muchas iniciativas y ha fortalecido otras, y para lograrlo se han sumado más maestros y niños haciendo:
• Recolección de papel y cartón. Esta acción empezó con Preschool y Elementary, y ahora se lleva a cabo en todas las secciones. En el caso de Elementary antes solo recolectaban los alumnos de 5°, en este ciclo escolar se sumaron los 4° y 3°.
• Ecoclub de High School. Pasó de ser una actividad extracurricular a ser una materia optativa y ahora tiene una calificación.
• Residuos y separación. Este ha sido unos de los retos más difíciles en nuestra escuela, sin embargo, este año la organización Punto Orgánico capacitó con el tema de la basura y su separación a todos los maestros y personal administrativo, a todos los alumnos de preparatoria y la generación de 3° de primaria. Además, cambiamos nuestros botes de basura invitando a todos a colocar la basura en el bote correcto. Recordándoles que si separamos nuestros residuos seguros se convertirá en un recurso y tendrá otra oportunidad. El ciclo pasado logramos darle manejo a 5, 238.69 kilos de papel, cartón, PET y aluminio, entre otros materiales que se generan en la escuela. Nuestra meta es bajar ese número y esto se podrá hacer con una de las R´s que es REDUCIR.
En nuestras diferentes campañas como escuela socialmente responsable entregamos mano a mano:
7,475 piezas de ropa
7,475 piezas de ropa a pueblos y comunidades indígenas de Tolimán y Amealco.
225 despensas a nuestros bomberos.
Nuestra Kermesse.
100.24 kg de medicamentos
363.8 kg de electrónicos
50.6 kg de pilas
21, 200 kg de tapitas
En la semana del acopio le dimos manejo a 100.24 kg de medicamentos, 50.6 kg de pilas, (recordando que estos contenedores están permanentes en la entrada principal junto a recepción) los pueden traer cualquier día en los horarios de escuela; 363,8 kg de electrónicos logrando el certificado de nuevamente por la organización REMSA y 21,200 kg de tapitas estas últimas para AMAC. Esto nos hace ser una comunidad unida y solidaria en el ámbito social y ambiental.
58 stands
Este año tuvo estas mejoras, en ediciones pasadas se consumían alrededor de 1,300 botellas de PET, ahora tuvimos termos que podemos reutilizar muchas veces. Nuestros cubiertos no fueron de plástico (recuerda que aunque sean biodegradables tomarán mínimo 6 años en desintegrarse) y lo que tuvimos en esta edición son 100% compostables es decir, una vez su uso no contaminan y se pueden poner en nuestras macetas, composta. Con esta acción evitamos que llegarán a los vertederos alrededor de 2000 piezas de cubiertos.
Y por último, en nuestra 8° Feria Ambiental nuestros alumnos de Ecoclub hicieron un gran trabajo liderando la feria. En esta edición fue increíble ver a más alumnos y maestros sumarse a las actividades ya sea con un stand con sus materias que imparten matemáticas, negocios, ciencias, arte, servicio social entre otras y participando en el evento. Tuvimos la participación total de 58 stands repartidos en todas las secciones. Retomamos nuestro mercado (eco) sumándose proyectos de padres de familia y organizaciones externas promoviendo el consumo local.
con enfoque sostenible.
A nuestros padres de familia del Ecoclub y los que vinieron, gracias por su invaluable apoyo. A todos los maestros que conformamos el comité ambiental: Cristina, Antares, Lili, Brenath, Lorena, Pedro Pablo, sin duda alguna con su ayuda hemos logrado muchas de nuestras metas dentro del programa.
Cada vez crecemos más, el Ecoclub no solo es para sus integrantes sino para todos los que conformamos esta comunidad y quieran aprender más sobre el medio ambiente.
Para cerrar, quiero retomar las palabras de un gran alumno que un día me dijo en una de las sesiones de Ecoclub: “Miss yo no sé por qué dicen que los niños somos el futuro si no hacemos nada en el presente.” En ese momento pensé ¡Qué comentario tan asertivo! Creo que no solo los niños tienen esa responsabilidad, sino que todos somos parte de ese futuro que queremos ver. El cambio está en nuestras manos, a través de cada una de nuestras acciones.
JFK Alumni Class ‘17
Entrevista/Cristina Vergara
Emma Gutierrez Award Winner, 2023
By JFK Editorial Committee
Nombre completo: Alexa Robles-Gil Luna
Año de graduación del JFK: 2017
Licenciatura y Universidad en la que estudió: Licenciatura en Biología, Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP).
I currently work on conservation projects and write for the Chilean Magazine called Endémico where I reflect on environmental questions.
I discovered my passion for biology through a lot of contact with nature. My family has always loved camping and taking trips that involved outdoor activities. Since then, I always wanted to study something related and to be able to explore my interest in the natural world. I have always found more questions than answers, and I believe that following that curiosity has led me to this point.
The importance of my work, mainly writing and reporting on wildlife conservation, focuses on transmitting the message about taking care of spaces that other creatures inhabit. Try to involve and raise awareness of our environment and who we share it with. I search for the intersection between science and writing in order to form a bridge between us and the natural world.
My experience at JFK helped me form a lot of academic character: crucial to a science career. It challenged me and made me a better student. I believe that in High School I developed a good academic base that helped me a lot in my university career. But more than that, my decision to study biology was thanks to the teachers who listened to me and resolved my doubts, as well as my classmates, with whom I had endless conversations about our objectives and goals.
What I like most about my job is the opportunity to be in the field. I love everything that involves contact with nature, and I like to feel that what I do has a purpose. I like to be immersed and present in what I do.
My most important future project is the start of my master’s degree at New York University (NYU) in September for the Master of Science Journalism.
Don’t worry if you don’t have everything figured out; things settle down over time. Periods of a lot of work always end up paying off. And finally, absorb everything you experience at this stage, pursue your interests and always bet on your growth as a person.
Miss Cristina Vergara, coordinator of the Science department at JFK High School, was recognized with this year’s Emma Gutierrez Award, which is awarded annually by ASOMEX (Association of American Schools in Mexico), to recognize women’s leadership in education with a $4,000 scholarship for PD training.
“I applied because I would like to continue working on significant projects for my community, and I believe that, if I am awarded this scholarship, I will be able to learn where the future of education is going and share it with all members of that community”, says Cris.
Miss Cris studied Biology with a specialty in Marine Ecology. She later studied for a Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of Framingham and has 12 years of experience as a teacher, 10 of which she has worked at JFK.
“It seemed like a very distant goal and just having been chosen to represent the school, for me it was already an honor that I had managed to obtain, but knowing that my profile was unanimously chosen to receive this scholarship is incredible. It gives me great satisfaction to be able to represent the school, to bring that award to everyone because I believe it represents the capabilities and scope that anyone who works at this school can achieve. Because the school makes it easy. So, if you choose this path, surely there will be opportunities where you can stand out, as it happened to me, so I am very grateful to the school, very happy, it is an achievement of almost a decade of work.”
Cris will officially receive the recognition at the Tri Association Educators’ Conference that will take place in Bogotá. Colombia in the month of October, where in addition, she will participate as a speaker, with the theme “Classroom, movement and real life” in co-teaching with Professor Rafael Díaz.
Later, Cristina will attend the leadership training that will take place in Rome in June, in the summer of 2024. “Thanks to this award, I think I can contribute to improving our vision, our perspectives on where we have to focus our energy and continue walking towards something that can always put our school at the forefront and with a globally competitive educational and international offer for our students.”
“It gives me great satisfaction to be able to represent the school, to bring that award to everyone because I believe it represents the capabilities and scope that anyone who works at this school can achieve.”
Nuestro Proyecto Challenge 20/20 surge en el año 2010, cuando nuestros alumnos de High School se comprometieron a tomar acciones para dar solución a un tema global actuando local, su reto: “Pobreza”.
En su proceso de investigación y colaboración con la Organización BRED (Banco de Ropa y Enseres Domésticos de Querétaro), encontraron una comunidad local en extrema pobreza, a tan solo 20 minutos de la zona de nuestra escuela.
Nuestros alumnos adoptaron a la comunidad “El Obraje”, para tener la oportunidad de conocer las historias de vida de las
by Verónica Díaz Lope CAS Coordinator
familias, generar una conexión con ellos y promover a través de diferentes acciones un “desarrollo comunitario”, atendiendo la parte de formación humana y el mejoramiento de áreas comunes y viviendas.
A lo largo de todos estos años, visitamos a la comunidad dos sábados al mes. Nuestros alumnos en equipos, deciden qué actividades van a trabajar con los niños y mamás, a través de talleres que abordan temas de alimentación, salud, manualidades, experimentos de ciencias y finanzas para el hogar, entre muchos otros.
Hemos logrado un impacto positivo en la vida de la comunidad, al mejorar las instalaciones de su kinder, construir una biblioteca, impermeabilizar y pintar el centro de salud, y en los últimos 3 años, logramos construir una casa y hacer una ampliación para la segunda familia que recibió el apoyo.
Para decidir a quiénes vamos a beneficiar en cuanto al mejoramiento de vivienda o con qué familia empezar, tuvimos unas sesiones de reflexión con nuestros alumnos y se concluyó que las personas indicadas para tomar esa importante decisión, eran las mismas familias.
La primera selección para apoyo en vivienda, se hizo después de generar un diagnóstico de necesidades y escuchar sus historias, la misma comunidad determinó que la familia de Miriam tenía que ser la primera en recibir el apoyo; ya que al fallecer su papá, despojaron a su mamá, hermana y a ella de su casa, por lo que se encontraban viviendo en un cuarto prestado, sin cocina, sin baño, sin ventanas ni puertas. Solo contaban con un pequeño terreno que les dejó su abuelita.
Después de hacer realidad la primera casa, la comunidad decidió que la segunda familia en recibir el apoyo fuera la de Silvia. Su casa cuenta solamente con dos cuartos, uno lo ocupa como dormitorio para sus dos hijos, su esposo y ella. El otro cuarto lo ocupa para tener una estufa y una mesa. Por ese motivo, hicimos la ampliación de su casa para dejar libre una recámara y que sus hijos gocen de un espacio adecuado y con privacidad.
Este proyecto permite a nuestros alumnos, ampliar su perspectiva del mundo al enfrentarse a diferentes situaciones reales, los lleva a tomar decisiones y acciones en conjunto para darse cuenta de lo que
son capaces de hacer. Fortalecen sus habilidades de comunicación y liderazgo, mostrando ser ciudadanos globales empáticos, solidarios y decididos a contribuir a un mundo mejor.
Para hacer realidad este sueño de mejorar la forma de vida de las personas en el Obraje, agradecemos la participación del maestro Carlos Sandoval, experto en sustentabilidad, que nos ha brindado la asesoría técnica y profesional, en la construcción de las viviendas.
Agradecemos profundamente a la Fundación JFK, ya que a través de sus eventos como Noche de Casino y Torneo de Golf, logramos obtener los recursos necesarios para seguir brindando hogares dignos a las familias que nos han dado la confianza de ser parte de su historia.
Miscellaneous
Farewell: Miss Lupita
Farewell: Miss Blanquita
Farewell: Doña Chabe
A World of Cookies by Radia
Si YoucefJFK Golf/ Thank you Sponsors!
La razón de esta carta es comunicarles que, por motivos personales, este será el último ciclo escolar que estaré trabajando en nuestra querida escuela.
Tras 32 años de laborar en esta Institución, ha llegado el momento de cerrar este capítulo de mi vida e iniciar uno diferente, con nuevas metas por cumplir.
Me siento bendecida de haber formado parte de esta Comunidad; primero, como maestra de kínder en donde me recibieron con los brazos abiertos, aprendí y crecí rodeada de compañeras y amigas siempre dispuestas a brindarme su ayuda y después, como mamá de dos extraordinarias hijas quienes hoy en día son exitosas gracias a las bases que recibieron en esta escuela.
Me voy con sentimientos encontrados; por una parte, siento tristeza de saber que dejaré de venir todos los días a esta hermosa escuela con gente maravillosa y por la otra, me siento contenta y con gran satisfacción por haber cumplido con el desempeño de la noble profesión de Educadora.
Agradezco a las familias de mis alumnos por la confianza depositada en mí y el haberme permitido contribuir en la formación de sus hijos. Es para mí un orgullo haber sido la maestra que los recibió en la escuela por primera vez. De ellos me llevo su alegría, su entusiasmo, su energía, sus abrazos, sus ocurrencias, sus caritas y un sinfín de satisfacciones en mi corazón.
Quiero agradecer a la escuela por todo el cariño y apoyo que me dio durante mi estancia en la que la comunidad Kennedy educó a grandes seres humanos que serán pilares de su sociedad donde quiera que se encuentren.
Finalmente agradezco a Dios el haberme puesto en este camino y a todos ustedes por cobijarme durante tantos años. No les digo adiós sino hasta luego pues estoy segura de que nos seguiremos viendo.
Gracias, muchas gracias
“No les digo adiós sino hasta luego pues estoy segura de que nos seguiremos viendo.”
Durante los 32 años de experiencia docente y administrativa en la Escuela John F. Kennedy, he experimentado, un espíritu colaborativo entre directivos, docentes, padres de familia, personal de apoyo y administrativos, que conduce a una misma finalidad, las y los estudiantes, su formación integral, que permite potenciar sus capacidades intelectuales, psicomotrices y afectivas sociales, así como las habilidades y competencias propias para la vida; sin duda ese espíritu colaborativo se hace tangible en cada acción que ejercemos todas y todos.
Además de este espíritu colaborativo, también existe la certeza de los enfoques transversal y transdisciplinario que permiten asegurar un mismo eje de acción para el logro de las intenciones curriculares, formativas y educativas en la institución JFK.
La experiencia educativa como directora técnica del Nivel Preescolar en el JFK, la he compartido, de forma grata, desde las alternativas y estrategias transdisciplinares que ofrece nuestra institución, pues al integrar y combinar programas educativos nacionales e internacionales, se logra la concreción del perfil de Egreso IB a través de una educación integral de las y los estudiantes, lo cual significa colaborar con una institución verdaderamente extraordinaria y exitosa.
Así mismo, la experiencia como madre de familia de mis dos hijas egresadas de esta querida institución JFK, me llena de satisfacción èsta elección de vida tomada, pues veo con orgullo los avances y alcances profesionales que han desarrollado mis hijas. Mi hija mayor es una profesionista exitosa que trabaja en el extranjero adquiriendo experiencia y reconocimiento por sus capacidades, habilidades y competencias adquiridas en esta institución. Mi hija menor aún permanece realizando estudios profesionales de Medicina con excelente aprovechamiento académico; sé que el JFK contribuyó con su filosofía e ideales educativos a su formación integral, por lo que estoy profundamente agradecida.
Mi legado en la institución JFK como maestra de música radica en sembrar el gusto estético por la música y desarrollar en ellos, a través de la educación musical, el sentido rítmico, melódico y armónico no sólo de la música sino también de la vida, a través del juego como interés natural de las y los infantes en edad preescolar.
Disfruto y admiro siempre la inteligencia de las niñas y los niños, su capacidad de asombro y su interés especial por aprender en todo momento, sus inquietudes mostradas en cada pregunta que realizan, su inocencia cargada de sinceridad y la autenticidad mostrada en sus relatos, y su imaginación siempre latente, pues insisten en que escondo mi cama en el salón, pues creen que ahí vivo. Me regocijan sus miradas, el brillo de sus ojos cuando preguntan ¿hoy nos toca música? Y ante la respuesta afirmativa muestran sin reserva su felicidad, esto me llena de satisfacción y agradecimiento a la vida, a la educación, a la música y a mi institución JFK.
Amo al JFK, siempre estará en mi vida, en mis ideales y en mi corazón agradecido.
Amo al JFK, siempre estará en mi vida, en mis ideales y en mi corazón agradecido.
Me llamo Petra García Nieves, pero todos me conocen como Chabe y tengo 39 años cumplidos de trabajar aquí en el Kennedy. Llegué a trabajar aquí por mi hermana, ella entró a trabajar y me pedía que la acompañara, y yo venía con ella, le ayudaba a hacer su área y así estuve 2 años,, desde el 80 hasta el 83,, que ya me escribieron a mí aquí, así pues ya entré como trabajadora oficial, mi hermana se fue a los 10 años de trabajar aquí. También mis sobrinas estuvieron aquí como nanitas. Yo también estuve de nanita con Miss Pili, con Miss Lupita y con Miss Erika.
¿Cómo ha sido trabajar en el Kennedy tanto tiempo?
A mí no se me ha hecho nada, me ha gustado mucho mi trabajo, siento que no han pasado los años. He visto a la escuela crecer porque cuando yo llegué estaba súper chiquita, me tocó ver todo el cambio, primaria, la Biblioteca, y también cuando hicieron la prepa.
¿Qué es lo que más le ha gustado trabajar aquí?
Pues aquí en Kinder me gustan los niños, yo me siento muy tranquila, muy feliz cuando puedo ayudarlos y también cuando te están contando cosas y te hacen reír. Son muy lindos todos. Estoy feliz, pero ya el día que me vaya, sí me voy a sentir muy triste porque son 39 años de estar viniendo aquí, de estar aquí.
¿Alguna anécdota que quiera compartir?
Hace poquito vino un grupo de papás a los que Miss Debra les dio el tour, yo iba a comer acá en el último salón donde está el horno y me dice un papá “ ¿todavía sigue aquí? ¿No se acuerda de mí? Le dije que no y me dijo “Yo sí me acuerdo de usted”. Cuando le dije que ya me voy a retirar me respondió: “No, cómo que ya se va, ya va a entrar mi niña.” Muchos papás que estudiaron aquí ya traen hasta sus niños y es muy bonito todo eso. A todos los que se quedan aquí trabajando les digo que yo amo esta escuela, es la mejor y que le echen ganas y aquí sigan.
“Estoy feliz, pero ya el día que me vaya, sí me voy a sentir muy triste porque son 39 años de estar viniendo aquí, de estar aquí.”
This little recipe book is a holiday gift from the Kennedy Expat Community to the JFK School community at large. It is a compilation of our favorite holiday cookie recipes from all over the world. Some of them are traditional family recipes, passed down from one generation to the next. Others were encountered in cookbooks or websites, but they quickly became family favorites. We hope you enjoy discovering this part of our holiday traditions as much as we enjoyed sharing it with you. Happy holidays!
It is our hope that Our World of Cookies becomes a new annual tradition as well. The international community at Kennedy is constantly changing, with new families joining us while others move onto different locations. We want this book to grow and evolve along with the international community it represents. Each holiday season, we intend to continue this tradition, and add more cookie recipes from the international families at Kennedy to this book.
We will not acknowledge everyone directly here, as your names are listed with your recipes, however, please accept our gratitude for contributing your family’s recipe to the book and participating in our first annual Kennedy Expat Community international cookie exchange. While we speak different languages and come from different countries and cultures, we were able to share a small part of ourselves, and our cultures, with each other. No matter how far apart our origins may have been from one another, we all currently share this same destination, and more importantly we share the same love of cookies!
Radia Si Youcef Kris Vining December 2022
Belazzoug Family
Ingredients
• 3 cups of almond flour.
• 1 cup granulated sugar.
• 4 eggs (maybe 5 depending on the quality of the almond flour)
• 1 tsp Vanilla.
• 4 lemons, zested.
• 1 pinch of salt.
• ½ cup Chopped Almonds.
• Cherries in syrup, pitted and halved (alternatively use Maraschino Cherries)
Directions
The day before:
In a large bowl, place de Almond flour, the salt, the vanilla and the lemon zests and mix well using a spatula or your hands.
Add in 2 egg yolks, (save the whites for later in the recipe) and mix it to the dry ingredients.
Add 1 whole egg and keep mixing the dough, trying to shape a ball. If it is too crumbly, add in another egg yolk.
You need to obtain a dough that you can shape into balls, that is not too dry and not too soft. It is the kind of recipe, in which you might need to add more eggs (depend on the size of the eggs as well) the rule of thumb in this case is to always add 2 egg yolks, then 1 whole egg, in this order, so if your dough is still too dry, add 1 egg yolk at a time, then another whole egg if the dough still needs it.
Cover with plastic film and let sit ion the fridge overnight
The day of:
Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
Shape little balls of approximately 25 g each.
Roll each ball in egg white then in chopped almonds.
Form a little indentation at the top of the cookie and push in half a cherry.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for about 15 minutes.
They will be golden on the outside without browning on the bottom and still soft as you remove them from the oven.
Let them cool before storing in an airtight container.
notes
This cookie owes its name to its spiky appearance. In fact, Mchawek means spiky in Arabic.
notes
For the pastry:
• 5½- 6 cups flour
• 1 lbs Crisco shortening (or butter)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Cold water
For the filling:
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 cups currents or seedless raisins
• ⅔ cup butter
• 1 cup, lightly chopped pecans
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp milk (or cream)
Prepare the crust Mix the flour and salt together. Cut the shortening (or butter) in the flour mixture until it resembles coarse oatmeal.
In a 1 cup measuring cup, combine vinegar and egg. Add water to the vinegar/egg mixture to make 1 complete cup. Gradually stir the liquid mixture into the pastry mix. Add only enough liquid to make the pastry cling together. Mix the pastry with your hands and gather it into several balls, wrap with Saran Wrap and chill 10 minutes in the fridge. Roll each ball out on a floured surface. Sprinkle with flour if the dough is too sticky. Cut out circular shapes using a cookie cutter or the top of a glass and transfer to muffin tins. Set aside.
Prepare the filling:
Beat eggs in a big bowl.
Add in the remaining ingredients, except for the pecans. Transfer to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the pecans and remove the mixture from the heat immediately.
To assemble, fill the unbaked tart shells with the filling and bake for around 15-20 min in a preheated oven at 375F. The tarts are ready when the pastry is golden brown.
You only need half the pastry recipe for the butter tart filling recipe.
For about 30 Cantucci:
• 2 eggs.
• 170 g of granulated sugar.
• 280 g of Bread flour.
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 40 g of soft butter,
• 70 g of shelled and unpeeled almonds.
• 1 untreated orange.
• 1 tablespoon of honey 1 egg yolk for brushing.
Directions
Place the eggs and the sugar in a bowl. Whisk them together using an electric mixer until both are well incorporated. But not too foamy.
Add the flour and baking soda and, using your hands, mix until a coarse dough is obtained. Then add the butter, whole almonds, orange zest and honey.
Work the dough quickly and form a loaf. Divide the dough into two parts and, with lightly floured hands, form a loaf out of each part. Arrange them both on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and brush them with the egg yolk.
Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven, let them rest for a few minutes and cut each loaf into diagonal slices, about a centimeter thick, obtaining the cantucci cookies this way. Then brown the biscuits for another 5 minutes in the oven at 200°C.
Remove the cantucci from the oven and let them cool completely before serving.
Kumra Family
• 1 cup Unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cup flour 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips.
Directions
Melt the butter in a pan, over low-medium heat, and slowly let it brown, making sure it doesn’t burn.
Once cooled, pour the butter into a mixing bowl, then add both sugars and whisk them all up till smooth.
Add the eggs and the vanilla essence to the sugar and butter mixture and whisk again. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and salt. Incorporate gradually the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Fold in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
Make balls and bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for around 10-11minutes or until golden. They might seem a little undercooked, but they will set while cooling down.
• 225gr unsalted butter at room temperature.
• 300gr all-purpose flour, sifted.
• 80gr cornstarch
• ¾ cup piloncillo granulated (alternatively use brown sugar)
• 1tsp vanilla
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 egg yolks
• 4Tbsp Colombian coffee dissolved in 4 Tbsp of hot water
Directions
Place the flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl, mix and set aside.
In another bowl, use electric beaters to cream the sugar and the butter until both ingredients are well mixed together.
Add the coffee, egg yolks, vanilla and mix well.
Incorporate in three parts the flour and cornstarch mix into the batter. You should obtain soft dough. Refrigerate for one hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 350F/190C.
Roll out the dough on a clean countertop to 1/4in / 1cm thick.
Cut out the cookies using the cookie cutter of your choice.
Place the cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 20 min or until golden.
• 135 g semi-salted butter, cut into pieces
• 120g granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp fleur de sel (flor de sal)
• 190g of all-purpose flour, and a little for the work plan
• 1 tsp baking powder 1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt for the egg wash
Place the butter, sugar, egg yolks, fleur de sel, flour, and baking powder into a bowl and mix.
Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll out the dough on a floured work surface to about 1 cm thickness.
Using a cookie cutter (4 cm) cut out discs of dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Let the baking sheets rest in the refrigerator for 20 min.
Preheat the oven to 180º degrees. Egg wash the discs using a pastry brush. Bake for 15 mins. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• 1 cup of medium semolina
• ¾ cup of icing sugar
• ¼ cup of milk at room temperature
• 5 Green cardamom pods, reduced to powder
• 1tsp raisins, chopped
• 1tsp almonds or cashew nuts (or both),
• chopped 6 Tbsp Ghee (Indian clarified butter)
• 1 cup of medium semolina ¾ cup of icing sugar
• ¼ cup of milk at room temperature
• 5 Green cardamom pods, reduced to powder
• 1tsp raisins, chopped
• 1tsp almonds or cashew nuts (or both), chopped
• 6 Tbsp Ghee (Indian clarified butter)
Directions
Heat 1 Tbsp of ghee in a wok over low-medium heat. Place the chopped raisins and nuts in the warm ghee to roast them until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from the wok and set aside.
Add 2 Tbsp of ghee in the wok and heat it.
Add the semolina to the ghee, and roast it by stirring continuously until the entire contents turn bright golden. Set aside to cool down.
In a big mixing bowl, place the roasted semolina, the icing sugar, the roasted dry nuts and the cardamom powder.
Add 3 Tbsp of melted ghee to the other ingredients and mix well.
Gradually pour in the milk while mixing until you obtain a soft dough that you are able to shape.
Shape all the dough into small dumpling balls. Place the rolled dumplings on a flat tray for 3 to 4 hours to allow their moisture evaporated. Serve at room temperature
• 170g (3/4 cup) of cream cheese at room temperature
• 227g (1 cup) of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2.5 cups of flour
• 3/4 cup jam for the filling
• Powdered sugar for dusting the cookies
Directions
Prepare the dough:
Put cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and sugar in the mixing bowl and beat together on medium speed until light and fluffy, around 2 minutes.
Lower the mixer speed to low and gradually mix in the flour until just combined. The dough should be soft and a bit sticky.
Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a thick disk. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Shape and bake the cookies:
Preheat your oven to 175 degrees. Place some parchment paper on your baking sheets or grease them. (I use parchment paper because the jam tends to leak out of the cookies and unless you have multiple cookie sheets, you would have to wash them between each batch.)
Dust your pastry mat (if using) or a clean countertop with flour or powdered sugar. Take one of the dough disks from the refrigerator (leave the other one until you’re ready to roll it out) and roll it out on the mat until it is around 3 mm thick. Cut the dough into squares of around 6 or 6.5 cm. If you need to re-roll the dough several times to get it all cut into squares, put it back in the fridge for a bit to cool it back down.
Once you have enough dough squares for one baking sheet, put around 1 teaspoon of jam into the center of each square. (It will spread when it bakes, so don’t put too much, or it will leak all over the pan.) Then pull 2 opposite sides of the square into the center and pinch the dough together toward one side. Make sure you pinch it well and that the dough is not too cold when you pinch it down, or the dough may open back up when baking. Place the shaped cookies on the baking sheet a few cm apart and bake until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden, between 1215 min depending on your oven.
Cool for a minute or 2 on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack.
Dust the cookies with
Delano Rozwadowski Family.
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries
Directions
Add the butter to a medium mixing bowl with the brown sugar and cane sugar. Using a hand mixer to cream them together until fluffy. You can also do this with a stand mixer. Add the applesauce and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Add the almond flour, sorghum flour,
brown rice flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low until the flours are completely incorporated. Fold in the macadamia nuts and cranberries with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350º F (176º C) and prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Once the dough is chilled, use a spoon or 1 ½ Tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the dough into balls and place them on the baking sheets, spacing them two inches apart.
For softer cookies, leave the dough in balls, or for slightly flatter and crisper cookies, press the dough balls down slightly to form discs. Bake for 11-13 minutes until just golden on the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes before enjoying!
Leftover cookies keep at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer for 1 month.
French Family
• 200g butter + a little more for the tray
• 3 eggs (about 150g)
• 60 g milk
• 120g caster sugar
• 200g flour + a little bit more to flour the tray
• 10g baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180 º (350º).
Melt the butter and set aside.
Place the eggs and the milk In a bowl and whisk.
Add the sugar, flour, baking powder, and vanilla extract.
Incorporate the slightly cool melted butter using a spatula.
Grease and flour the Madeleine tray then, scoop in each mold enough batter to fill ¾ of its capacity.
Once each Madeleine mold is filled, set aside the tray in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes.
Cool down, then store in an airtight container.
For the Maple Blueberry Scones
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsb baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup unsalted butter cold, grated
• ⅔ cup milk
• ½ cup yogurt or sour cream
• ⅓ cup MAPLE SYRUP
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup frozen blueberry or fresh
• 1 Tbsp melted butter for tops
For the Glaze
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp MAPLE SYRUP
• ½ Tbsp milk or water
Mix the dry ingredients together.
Slowly mix in the cold grated (or chopped) butter, coating the pieces of butter evenly with the dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, mix the yogurt, milk, MAPLE SYRUP, sugar and egg. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just well combined.
Fold in the blueberries.
Shape the dough into a ball and place on a floured surface.
Flatten into a 8-10 inch circle and slice into 8 wedges.
Place de scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly brush with the 1 Tbsp of melted butter.
Bake for 25 minutes (or until the tops are golden).
While scones are baking,
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup gram flour (chickpea flour)
• 2 Tbsp semolina
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of baking powder
• Pinch of grated nutmeg
• 1 cup clarified butter
• Chopped pistachios for garnish
Directions
In a bowl, place the all-purpose flour, gram flour, granulated sugar, cardamom powder, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and mix well.
Gradually add ghee in 2-3 times and combine into a dough.
Shape small balls and flatten between your palms, make a cross on the top with a knife and garnish with the pistachios. Preheat the oven at 180º.
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes on a tray lined with parchment paper.
Remove from the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes.
Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Ingredients
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup butter /shortening
• 3 Tbsp milk
• 2 Tbsp icing sugar plus more for dusting
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• Can of dulce de leche for the filling
Directions
In a bowl, mix flour, salt and sugar.
Add the butter, milk and vanilla.
Delicately mix all ingredients together until the dough doesn’t stick to your hands anymore, and you can shape it into a ball.
Wrap in plastic film, and let the dough rest in the fridge for 30mn.
Roll out the dough on a clean surface, about 0.5 cm thickness, cut out the cookies using a circle cookie cutter, and place them on the baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350º F (170º C) for about 10mn.
Once the cookies are slightly golden, remove them from the oven, and let them cool down.
Place ½ tsp of dulce del leche on one cookie, and stick another one on the other side.
Dust with icing sugar.
• ⅓ cup unsalted butter (75 gr), room temperature
• ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar (45 gr)
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract ½ tbsp milk
• 1 cup cake flour (120 gr)
• 2 tbsp pure strawberry powder (15 gr)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 ½ tbsp almond powder (15 gr)
• 2 ½ tbsp freeze-dried diced strawberries (15 gr)
Sugar coating:
• 2 ½ tbsp confectioners’ sugar (20 gr)
• 2 tbsp pure strawberry powder (15 gr)
Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F/150°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Using a mixer or spatula, mix butter and confectioners sugar until combined.
Add vanilla extract and milk. Mix until well combined. Sift in cake flour, strawberry powder, and salt.
Add almond powder and freeze-dried diced strawberries.
Mix with a spatula until well incorporated. Scoop 1 teaspoon of dough and roll into balls. Arrange the balls onto the prepared pan. Bake the cookies for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool the cookies slightly.
In a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar and strawberry powder for the sugar coating.
While the cookies are still warm, roll them in the sugar coating.
Cool the cookies completely before transferring them into an airtight container.
For the Sugar Cookies:
• 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened.
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar.
• 1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened.
• 1 large egg.
• 2 large egg yolks.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting.
Shape the dough into a flat disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 3-4 days.
When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the cookie dough with a rolling pin to ¼-inch thick.
Dip cookie cutters of your choice in some extra flour and cut out shapes from the dough. Gather any excess dough into a ball, chill in the fridge to firm, then re-roll and cut out more cookies. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and chill for at least 20 minutes to ensure they hold their shapes.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges just barely start to turn golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before decorating with royal icing or frosting. Decorate the cookies as desired with Royal Icing.
For the dough:
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter
• 3 1/4 cups (405 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) white granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 grams) instant-rise yeast
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
For the filling:
• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping:
• 1 egg (whisked together with 1 tablespoon water) pearled sugar
Directions
Heat the milk and butter. Combine the milk and 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan*. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to melt the butter, until the mixture reaches 110º F. The mixture should be warm but not hot to the touch.
Mix the dough. In a separate large mixing bowl, briefly whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, ground cardamom, and salt until combined. Add the warm milk mixture and stir until the dough begins to form. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 7-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and soft.
Form the dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm space for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
Meanwhile, stir together the filling ingredients in a separate mixing bowl until evenly combined.
Once the dough is ready to go, turn it out onto a large, floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 22 x 15-inch (55 x 38 cm) rectangle. Evenly spread the filling mixture across the entire surface of the dough. Then fold the left third of the dough in towards the center, and fold the right third of the dough over that towards the center, like you’re folding a business letter. Gently run the rolling pin over the dough to press out any big bubbles.
Then roll the dough out a bit more so that it forms a 15 x 8-inch (38 x 20 cm) rectangle.
Using a knife, slice the dough into even 2 x 20 cm long strips. Take one strip and twist it several times, gently stretching it as you do so, until it nearly doubles in length. Grab one end of the twisted strip and loosely wrap the dough around two fingers twice, like a bandage. Then loop the rest of the dough perpendicularly around the dough so that it forms a knot, and tuck the loose end in at the bottom. Transfer the dough to a large lined baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining dough strips.
Loosely cover the dough buns with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise for 45-60 minutes.
Heat the oven to 375°F. Brush each bun with the egg wash, then sprinkle with a pinch of pearled sugar.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the rolls reach your desired level of golden brown.
Transfer to a wire baking sheet and let cool for 5 minutes.
• 3 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup sugar (minus 1 tablespoon at high altitude)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream (American style...not crema)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Mix together flour, sugar, and salt.
Combine with butter as if preparing a pie dough.
In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.
Add wet ingredients to the dry, and gently kneed until you form a dough.
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, and let the dough rest overnight in the refrigerator.
Working with small batches of dough, roll out into 1/4” thickness and cut into 4” long by 1/2” wide strips.
Pinch or twist dough strips in the middle to create the angel wing shape.
Bake for 20 minutes (or until golden brown edges) at 350º (375º at high altitude).
Once the cookies are fully cooled, dust them liberally with powdered sugar.
Recipes contributed by the Parents from the Kennedy Expat Community.
Editorial design by JFK MarCom team
