Ash Wednesday

"After the feasting and reveling of the carnival season, Ash Wednesday ushers in Lent, the season of penance and fasting, in imitation of Jesus' fast in the desert. Lenten meals in all Christian countries were traditionally meager and simple. Many of these dishes, however, are perfect foods for today's health-conscious lifestyle. The pretzel has great historical and spiritual significance. As the faithful in the old Roman Empire kept a very strict fast all through Lent - no dairy products, eggs, or meat - they made small breads of water, flour, and salt to accompany their simple meals of fish, fruit and vegetables. To remind themselves that Lent was a time of prayer, they shaped the breads in the form of arms crossed in prayer. The Latin word bracellae, "little arms," eventually became the Germanic "pretzel." - excerpt from Catholic Traditions in the Home and Classroom by Ann Ball.

So we made pretzels for Ash Wednesday!

I was going to use the recipe out of the above mentioned book, but our bread machine cookbook had a recipe for Soft Pretzels, which involved the boiling. So I decided to try that recipe instead. They turned out pretty well, except that I got too much salt on a few of them. Some of them didn't stay puffed up after the boiling, but shriveled up instead, and then didn't bake right. But we got 6 or 7 good pretzels and it was fun!

Here's the recipe from the above mentioned book:

1 pkg. dry yeast
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
4 cups flour
1/4 cup melted butter
1 beaten egg

Dissolve the yeast in water. Add salt and sugar. Blend in flour. Knead dough until smooth. Cut into small pieces. Roll into ropes and twist into pretzel shape. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Brush pretzels with beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse salt if desired. Bake at 375 degrees about 15 minutes. -Jackie Lindsey