Jan Bilton: For the love of food and fairness (+recipes)

An excellent cake for after school or sport. Photo / Jan Bilton

Generally speaking, Kiwis believe in the idea of a "fair go".

So it is no great surprise that the popularity of Fairtrade-imported goods such as coffee, chocolate, cocoa, oils, spices, sugar and dried fruit and nuts are gaining in popularity.

Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability and fair terms of trade for more than six million people — farmers, producers, workers and their families in 70 countries.

To buy fairly traded goods look for the Fairtrade label on products available from your local retailers. New Zealand Fairtrade importer Trade Aid was established more than 40 years ago.

Today 29 stores throughout the country sell crafts and toys as well as a growing range of food items that include almonds and Medjool dates from northern Palestine, baking cocoa from the Dominican Republic and cane sugar from Paraguay.

Supermarkets also sell Fairtrade products, mainly chocolate, tea, coffee and bananas.

I spoke with the owner of our local Fairtrade store and she is amazed at the uptake in sales when cruise ships are in town.

"Overseas people are much more aware of the good that Fairtrade does than New Zealanders."

Now, every keen home cook can help the cause — and win. Until August 17, Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand and Trade Aid are running The Big Fair Bake campaign.

1. Choose your favourite recipe and include two Fairtrade ingredients.

2. Bake it and share it with family and friends.

3. Share a photo of you and your baking at bigfairbake.org.nz (check the website for full information) and state why you baked "fair".

Entries will be judged by some of our top bakers.

Recipes

Banana, coconut and chocolate cake

An excellent cake for after school or sport

• 200g Fairtrade milk chocolate
• 1 large ripe Fairtrade banana, peeled and mashed
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 cup Trade Aid coconut milk
• 3/4 cup Trade Aid cane sugar
• 2 & 1/2 cups plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup desiccated coconut

1. Heat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease and flour a 20-21cm square cake pan. Line the base with baking paper.

2. Break chocolate into squares. Cut each square in half.

3. Combine mashed banana, vanilla essence, eggs, oil and coconut milk. Stir in the sugar. Sift the flour and baking powder over the banana mixture. Fold in the coconut using a spatula. Fold in the chocolate — do not over-mix. Spoon into the cake pan.

4. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out on to a wire rack.

Choice chocolate muffins

Makes 6

• 50g Fairtrade dark chocolate
• 1 & 1/2 cups plain flour
• 2 tbsp Trade Aid cocoa powder
• 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup Trade Aid cane sugar
• 100g butter, melted
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a six-hole muffin pan.

2. Cut the chocolate into 6 even-sized pieces. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in the sugar.

3. Combine the butter, milk and egg. Stir into the dry ingredients until just moistened.

4. Fill 1/3 of the muffin cups with the batter. Add a chocolate piece to each. Cover with the remaining batter. Bake for 20 minutes, until they start to come away from the sides. Cool on a wire rack.

5. Great topped with chocolate icing.

Date and orange scones

Makes 12

• 1 cup chopped pitted Trade Aid Medjool dates
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 cup peeled and diced orange
• 3 cups self-raising flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 50g chilled butter, chopped
• 1 & 1/2 cups milk, warmed
• 2 tbsp Fairtrade cane sugar

1. Heat oven to 210°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. In a bowl, combine the chopped dates with the orange juice and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, until the dates absorb the orange juice. Add the diced orange.

3. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

4. Add the warm milk to the date and orange mixture, stir to combine then mix quickly into the flour with a spatula. Do not knead.

5. Turn out on to a floured bench. Dust the top with flour and pat out to an even rectangle about 2.5cm thick with your hands.

6. Cut the mixture into squares or rounds. Place the scones on the prepared tray. Sprinkle with the sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Coffee and date slice

Makes about 20

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Trade Aid cane sugar
• 175g butter, melted
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp strong Fairtrade (liquid) coffee
• 1 tbsp Trade Aid cane sugar extra
• 400g Trade Aid pitted Medjool dates, chopped (reserve some for the topping)
• 1 & 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Icing: 2 cups icing sugar
• 2 tbsp strong Fair Trade (liquid) coffee
• 50g butter, melted
• Boiling water to mix

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C. Line the base of a 30cm x 20cm slice pan with baking paper.

2. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Beat in the sugar, butter, milk, the coffee combined with the tablespoon of sugar and the dates. Mix well. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix well. Pour into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until set and golden. Cool.

4. Combine the icing ingredients, adding enough boiling water to make the mixture spreadable. Using a spatula, spread over the baked base and sprinkle with the reserved chopped dates. Cut into squares or bars.