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Week 3

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Hope for families from God's love

2012-03-21 L’Osservatore Romano
The secret of the problems of families and their solution lies in the Crucified One. It is Mr and Mrs Danilo and Anna Maria Zanzucchi who say so. They have been charged by Benedict XVI to write the meditations this year for the Way of the Cross on Good Friday at the Colosseum. They have behind them a long experience of service to families across the world and, together with Chiara Lubich, are the founders of the New Families Movement which they directed until 2008. In this interview withL'Osservatore Romano they review several stages in their life and explain the ideals that inspired them.

“In the face of such an important task”, Danilo said, “our first reactions were of wonder and trepidation, for we did not feel equal to it”.

Anna Maria offered an interpretation of the Way of the Cross: “In reflecting on the Cross, we felt that not only the Church but the whole of humanity is caught up in this mystery. It is also clear how much Christ  must have suffered, like any human being but with the sensitivity of a God”.  She gave us a foretaste of some of the topics they develop in their reflections for the Way of the Cross. “In our meditations “, she said, we have sought to convey our impressions of what Jesus lived in those moments, seeking to actualize them in the light of our own experience. It was not of course easy because we stand before such a great mystery. Yet we firmly believe that the secret and the solution to family problems lie in the Crucified Jesus. Christ on the Cross gave meaning to the pain we must face”. 

And, lastly, she addressed a message to all families who are going through a difficult moment: “I would just like to tell families in difficulty that we too have had our problems. Our marriage was born from reciprocal love like the marriage of every husband and wife. It is this spark that nourishes marriage. However, this love is sometimes extinguished because of many factors, it remains hidden and is forgotten, but its initial impetus lives on although it is smothered by the worries, misunderstandings and dramas of daily life. It must be rediscovered in the light of the love of God which unites. Christianity, in fact, brings two people who seek to love God and to love each other to be at once united and nevertheless distinct."

Courtesy: http://www.news.va/en/news/from-gods-love-hope-for-families

Braided Lemon Bread

Ingredients:

sponge

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1/2 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

dough

• all of the sponge
• 3/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor OR vanilla
• 5 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• egg wash for brushing braid
• pearl sugar or sparkling white sugar for sprinkling on braid

cream cheese filling

• 2/3 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup prepared lemon curd

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the sponge ingredients. Stir well to combine, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to proof for 10 to 15 minutes.

1) In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the sponge, yogurt, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and flavoring. Add 4 1/2 cups of flour and mix with the paddle attachment until the dough is a rough, shaggy mass. Switch to the dough hook and knead on speed 2 until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 5 to 6 minutes, adding more flour if needed to achieve the correct consistency.

If you're using a bread machine, combine all the dough ingredients in the pan and set the machine on the dough cycle. Be sure to check the dough as it kneads and adjust the flour or water as needed to achieve a soft, supple consistency. Let the cycle complete itself.

2) If working by hand or stand mixer, place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until quite puffy and nearly doubled.

3) While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Combine all the filling ingredients (except the lemon curd) in a small bowl, mixing until smooth and lump-free. Reserve the filling and lemon curd until ready to fill the braids.

4) Gently deflate the dough and divide it in half. Cover half with plastic wrap and set it aside as you roll out the first piece into a 10" x 15" rectangle. Rolling on parchment paper makes moving the bread to the baking sheet much, much easier. Lightly press two lines down the dough lengthwise, to divide it into 3 equal sections. Spread half the cream cheese filling down the center section, and top with half the lemon curd, leaving 1" free on all sides of the filling.

5) To form the mock braid, cut 1" crosswise strips down the length of the outside sections, making sure you have the same number of strips down each side. Beginning on the left, lift the top dough strip and gently bring it across the filling diagonally. Repeat on the other side with the top dough strip, so that the two strips crisscross each other. Continue down the entire braid, alternating strips to form the loaf

6) Repeat the rolling, filling, and braiding steps for the second piece of dough, using the remaining cream cheese filling and lemon curd. Set both loaves aside, lightly covered, to rise for 45 to 50 minutes, or until quite puffy

7) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the loaves with egg wash (one lightly beaten egg, 2 teaspoons water and a pinch of salt), and sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Yield: 2 loaves.

Courtesy: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/braided-lemon-bread-recipe

Grounded and growing.

Week 1