Lent baking challenge, wk 4

Date slices 
As we move closer to the events of Holy Week, our baking challenge this week is to make date slices.
Dates come from palm trees, the branches of which were waved as Jesus rode into Jerusalem...

Here's what you'll need:
Recipe 
½ lb of stoned dates
1/4pt of water
1 tsp of vanilla essence
4oz of self raising flour
1tsp of bicarbonate of soda
4oz of oats
4oz caster sugar
4oz of margarine or butter

Method
Turn oven to 350F/ 180C/ gas mark 4

Chop ½ lb of stoned dates
Put in a saucepan along with 1/4pt of water.
Bring to the boil, and cook until they’re soft.
Add 1 tsp of vanilla essence.

Mix 4oz of self raising flour with 1tsp of bicarbonate of soda.
Stir in 4oz of oats and 4oz caster sugar.
Rub in 4oz of margarine or butter.
Press half of this mixture into the base of a greased shallow tin.
As you do so, you could bring to mind the cloaks that the crowd threw to the ground for Jesus and his donkey to walk over
Spread the dates over this, and then add the other half of the mixture.
With each layer that you spread, imagine something from your life that you are placing beneath the feet of Jesus, just as the crowd did back then.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until browned.
Enjoy them with a hot drink, and sing a song or a hymn that fits the story for today-
‘We have a king who rides a donkey’, or ‘Ride on, ride on in majesty’ are two that come to mind.

A prayer
O Christ, you entered the city as a poor man
not in style but simply,
yet still you caused uproar, and questions everywhere;
you drew the expectations of a hungry crowd,
and brought buried conflicts to the light.

May we, who are sometimes swayed by the crowd's approval,
and who often avoid conflict
for fear of its cost to us,
hold fast to the gospel of peace and justice
and follow faithfully in your way of compassion and solidarity
with those who are poor and excluded,
wherever it may lead us. Amen.
                       ~ written by Kathy Galloway