Good Friday 2015

I have worked on this post for over a week but life keeps happening :) and thus I don't get more than a few moments at a time to spend here ....................
So finally I would like to share our Good Friday Traditions!

These last days before Easter, the Triduum, are extremely busy for us.
Frankly it takes some days to fully recover from the preparations we have for the Celebrations and Traditions we have for this time of year.

Naturally we start on Holy or Maundy Thursday and the participants who made it to Mass did not return home till quite late.

At this stage I am usually making the items ( this was last years favour)for our Easter Baskets that are placed on the table for the Easter Breakfast

Good Friday is a Fasting and Abstinence day - great article that link by the way.
Traditionally on Good Friday we also make Hot Cross Buns. I have been making them pretty much our entire married life and still remember the shock of our older children when Corbyn was born four days before Easter (and baptized on Easter Day) and the suggestion was made that they BUY Hot Cross Buns instead.
Needless to say the children took on the task of making them instead: because you know these are the most delicious buns ever!!!

Here is our Recipe

Sourdough Hot Cross Buns- 

 250g sourdough starter

1 tsp dried yeast

100g panella/rapadura

250mls milk

100g softened butter

600g spelt flour

200g mixture of sultana and currants (or chocolate chips if you prefer and 1 tbs of cocoa)

100mls water

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp Celtic sea/pink Himalayan salt

(Cross and glaze ingredients further down the page)

Mix all ingredients together, except for the salt.

Autolyse  for a  period of 50 minutes.

Add the salt and mix again, then turn out on to a lightly floured bench to knead until you get a lovely smooth ball of dough.

Pop the dough back into the bowl, plastic bag over the top and leave to prove.

Do a  couple of proves and folds over the next few hours.

Then tip out onto lightly floured surface again and divide into portions size you prefer (We made about 30)

Roll into balls, or simply divide to get a more square shape.

Pop them on a greased baking tray, cover and leave for another prove.

The dough is ready to be baked, when you press it in and it lightly springs back.

 Crosses -make crosses from 1/4 cup of plain flour and 2 tbs of water.

Put into a piping bag. I use two pieces of paper sticky taped into a funnel shape.

Add more or less to suit. The thicker it is the harder it is to put on as in the picture on the left.

Bake for about 15 mins on 200 degrees

Glaze-

The glaze is what makes Hot Cross buns in my opinion.

Have ready to paint on as soon as you get them out of the oven.

1/2 cup of sugar of your choice (white, xylitol, panella)

1 tsp all spice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon of water.

Mix and add more or less again to taste.

Paint on to buns as soon as they come out of the oven.

Divide among your crew but make sure you have some aside for you self as they disappear fast.

Most of us  like ours with butter but they are a couple who love them just as they are!!

I prepare the Hot Cross buns to rise before we attend The Memorial of the Lords Passion at 3pm and when we come home put them in the oven to cook while we prepare our DVD watching which has been in the past 'The Jesus Movie" but this year we watched 'The Jesus movie for children' - which was a lot shorter and had children kind of telling the story so it was easy for the younger children to identify with.

Over Holy Week we usually watch a lot of these little animated versions too but I think probably one of the best ones about the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus is actually 'The Robe,'
Our younger children watched this with us and were greatly impacted I believe.

Saxon and I stayed up and watched 'The Passion' together and then it was an early start to the next days activities.

Traditions like these over and over each year are what I love celebrating in our 'Domestic Church'
How about you??

Blessings to you and your homes,