Salt And Light I

Preserved Sakura

These are preserved sakura from Japan. Preserved sakura are traditionally used as tea called Sakura-yu to serve at arranged meetings between potential marriage partners. Other uses include Sakura gohan, rice cooked with a few preserved sakura and dashi stock, Sakura manju, steamed buns flavoured with sakura flowers and decorated with a preserved flower on top, and also in butter cookies and cakes

You have to soak these preserved sakura in cold water to reduce the salt and leave to dry before use.

Soak in cold water

leave to dry

Ingredients

90g unsalted buteer
50g superfine sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
125g pastry flour
20 preserved sakura

Method

• Soak sakura flowers in cold water for at least 2 hours to reduce salt. Drain the sakura and discard the water. Lightly squeeze out the water.
• Preheat oven 180C. Cream butter with salt until soft, add the sugar and beat until light in colorr  Add  vanilla extract and egg yolk. Beat to combine.
• Mix in flour and fold. Cover with clingwrap and chill for 1 hour.
• Line baking sheet with baking paper. Roll the cookie dough to 3-4mm thick, and cut with cookie cutter.
• Place a preserved sakura on each unbaked cookie, pressing lightly on the cookie.
• Bake cookies for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle superfine sugar. 
• Let cookies cool on baking sheet and later let it cool completely on a wire rack

The cookies are light, buttery and crumbly and when added with the preserved sakura and sprinkled sugar, melt in the mouth with a sweet and salty taste.

Sakura Cookies

Salt and Light

The Bible tells believers they are Salt and Light of the world. Matthew 5:13 'You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses it saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 16'Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.'
We are to be like salt with its usefulness in flavoring people with kindness,love and humility,preserving the world with God's truth and teaching, In healing the spiruitually weak. Salt also make us thirsty,for Christ, a need for a relationship with God, just as we were created with a need for water.
We are beacons of God's love shining out to people in darkness. Show the world God's love, hope and faith through our actions in our daily lives.