Everyone has their own traditions to celebrate Good Friday. Some are quiet from noon to 3pm, others go to services, and still other traditions deal with even what they eat on Good Friday. My family always had mustard green pie with homemade pizza (cheese and vegetables only) with hot cross buns. My husband added stuffed artichokes to go with our dinner meal. We would also boil the eggs to allow them to dry for coloring on Saturday. For Lent we followed the no meat on Friday's but could have fish (I make a mean tuna noodle casserole). But for Good Friday, we could not even have fish. As I was growing up, anyone over the age of 14 participated in the fast with only one meal. We also attended all 3 services (Stations of the Cross, The Rosary, and the evening service called the Tenabrae).
Other countries had their own tradition. One I particularly thought was interesting was the tradition in Bermuda where kites are flown. They are often handmade with wooden sticks, colorful tissue paper, glue, and string. The shape of the kite and the use of wood is meant to symbolize the cross that Jesus died on. Also, the kite flying in the sky symbolizes his ascension to heaven.
But across all Christian religions, the one food that stands out as a traditional Good Friday food are the Hot Cross Buns. Some state they are traditionally eaten for breakfast on this day and are about the only luxury afforded in this time of mourning; however, in our family we had them for dinner. This tradition came about from a legend that stated a priest at St, Alban's Abbey in Herfordshire gave these to the poor on Good Friday beginning in A.D. 1361, and thus the tradition was born.
They are one of my favorite buns. Here is my recipe that has been handed down generations although with the invention of a mixer, we changed the recipe:
1 cup milk
2 TBSP yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter, melted, cooled
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
4 eggs
5 cups flour
1 1/3 cups currants or raisins (I use a mixture of both white and dark raisins)
1 egg white
Glaze:
1 1/3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1- 2 TBSP milk
In a small saucepan, heat milk to very warm, but not hot (110°F if using a candy thermometer). Fit a stand mixer (you can also use a handheld electric mixer) with a dough hook. Pour warm milk in the bowl of mixer and sprinkle yeast over. Mix to dissolve and let sit for 5 minutes.
With mixer running at low speed, add sugar, salt, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and eggs. Gradually add flour, dough will be wet and sticky, and continue kneading with dough hook until smooth, about 5 minutes. Detach bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30-45 minutes.
Return bowl to mixer and knead until smooth and elastic, for about 3 more minutes. Add currants or raisins and knead until well mixed. At this point, dough will still be fairly wet and sticky. Shape dough in a ball, place in a buttered dish, cover with plastic wrap and let rise overnight in the refrigerator. Excess moisture will be absorbed by the morning.
Let dough sit at room temperature for about a half-hour. Line a large baking pan (or pans) with parchment paper (you could also lightly grease a baking pan, but parchment works better). Divide dough into 24 equal pieces (in half, half again, etc., etc.). Shape each portion into a ball and place on baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
In the meantime, pre-heat oven to 400° F.
When buns have risen, take a sharp or serrated knife and carefully slash buns with a cross shape all the way across the top (an equilateral Greek Cross). Brush them with egg white and place in oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° F, then bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack. Whisk together glaze ingredients, and spoon over buns in the cross pattern made earlier. Serve warm with butter, if possible.
It is customary, because of the Cross on the buns, to kiss them before eating, and to share one of these Hot Cross Buns with someone, reciting these words:
Half for you and half for me,
Between us two shall goodwill be.
Here is our recipe for Mustard Green Pie:
(Note one of my sisters hates mustard greens so she substitutes spinach).
Approximately 1 and 3/4 pounds mustard greens
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch green onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 large eggs
1 container (15 oz) part skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9&1/2-inch deep dish glass pie plate. Trim off two inches from mustard green stems, discard ends. Separate stems from leaves, thinly slice stems and coarsely chop leaves.
In nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil until hot. Add sliced stems and cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add green onions, salt, and pepper and cook 1 min. Gradually add chopped leaves until wilted and excess moisture evaporates, about 5 min. In a large bowl, with wire whisk or fork, mix eggs, ricotta, milk, parmesan and cornstarch. Stir in mustard green mixture.
Transfer mixture to pie plate. Bake pie 40 minutes or until knife inserted 2 inches from center comes out clean. (Makes 6 main dish servings)
Variations of the pie: I have used 8 sheets of frozen phyllo dough (thawed) and line the pie plate with them, leaving the ends up as in the picture. After filling in the mixture, I fold over the ends of the phyllo dough toward the middle. I have also used a single crust as if I were making a standard pie and taking 2 strips of the dough and making a cross on the top (no other top crust is needed). It just depends on my mood when I am making it. I have also used half spinach and half mustard greens. To me, I like the phyllo crust the best.
