Exploring Lent: Quick and Easy Prayer Pretzels

Here is another idea that you could easily do at home as a family Lent activity.  It would also work well in any setting with an oven!

I've always fancied making pretzels but, to be completely honest, I don't have a lot of spare time for bread baking and I find that, if you are working with a children's group, making real pretzels is not going to fit into your time allocation!  These are scone 'pretzels' so not the same but much quicker than the traditional kind!!

Pretzels are traditionally linked with Lent because they are said to resemble arms crossed in prayer.  I can't say that this is a position I have ever prayed in, but I certainly like the link!  Here's how to make them and then ideas to help you include some prayer in the activity...

Ingredients: 
100g self raising flour

30g butter

milk to mix

tablespoon sugar

Pinch of salt

1 Egg

• Preheat the even to 180C
• Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Mix in the sugar and salt.
• Gradually add milk to the mixture until a dough is formed.  Don’t let it get too sticky!
• Split the dough into 6.  Make each piece into a sausage shape and then form it into a pretzel shape (see photo).  

• Place on a greased baking tray.
• whisk an egg and use a pastry brush to ‘wash’ it over the top of each pretzel shape.
• Bake pretzels for 10 mins until golden
• Leave to cool and then eat with butter and jam!

• When the pretzels are baking make a list of (or draw) favourite foods that you want to thank God for.  
• Talk about people in the world and in our own country who don't have enough food and ask God to help them.
• Ask children to make up a short grace to say, thanking God for food.  They might like to get inventive and use a familiar tune such as 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star'!
• Say/sing the grace and eat the pretzels!