We're over half way through #fairtradefortnight which this year runs from 25th February to 10th March. I do try to use Fair Trade ingredients when I can but events such as these serve as a timely reminder. As do my children. Both boy and girl have undertaken projects on Fair Trade at school and keep me in check with eagle eyes to seek out the Fair Trade logo in the supermarket. Woe betide me if I buy the wrong bananas.
I was delighted to receive a goodie bag of products from the Fairtrade Foundation and have thoroughly enjoyed, cooking, eating, drinking and baking with them. Alas there was no Fair Trade wine in my parcel but I've been thoroughly enjoying my Fair Trade morning cuppa over the past week.
I've blogged previously about the Fairtrade Cake Pops I made for the Foodies 100 #bakeitfair challenge and below are a couple more chocolate treats. No need for guilt as of course everyone knows that Fair Trade Chocolate contains no calories...
FAIRTRADE Dark Chocolate and Ginger Flapjacks
150g butter
150g golden syrup
100g soft brown sugar (Fair Trade)
2 balls stem ginger - finely chopped
1 tbsp stem ginger syrup
350g porridge oats
1/2 tsp ground ginger
100g dark ginger chocolate - chopped (Fair Trade)
Preheat oven to 190 degrees C
Melt the butter, syrup and sugar in a pan.
Stir in the stem ginger, syrup, oats, ground ginger and chocolate and mix until combined.
Press into a greased and lined tin.
Bake for 25 minutes and cool in the tin before slicing.
I took the flapjacks along to a course I was attending and they were quickly decimated. Would also be really tasty with some Fairtrade raisins or sultanas stirred through. Next I had to come up with a Fairtrade recipe that a class of twenty eight Primary 4's could bake. I opted for muffins.
FAIRTRADE Chocolate, Banana and Vanilla Muffins
8oz Plain Flour
2oz Porridge Oats
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Bicarb of Soda
5 tbsp Cocoa (Fair Trade)
1/2 tsp Salt
3 oz Granulated Sugar (Fair Trade)
3 large ripe bananas (Fair Trade)
1 egg
60ml milk
90ml sunflower oil
seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod (Fair Trade)
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C
Mix together all the dry ingredients on one bowl ensuring you sieve all bar the oats.
In another bowl mash the bananas, add the egg, milk, oil, vanilla and mix well.
Pour all wet ingredients in to dry and stir until combined.
Spoon into 12 muffin tins/cases.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until tops are springy
The kids seemed to thoroughly enjoy baking and were very enthused by the end result coming up with the slogan - All Made by Fair Trade. I'll be back at School later on this week to help judge a Fair Trade Bake Off. Can't wait to see (and taste!) all the Fair Trade cakes and bakes on offer. Fingers crossed that two very special judges can also put in a guest appearance. My lips are sealed.