Coffee and date slice

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. This coffee and date slice is using Fairtrade products. Makes about 20.

Slice

2	Eggs
1 cup	Cane sugar, use the Trade Aid variety, plus 1 Tbsp extra
175 g	Butter, melted
½ cup	Milk
2 Tbsp	Coffee, use the Fairtrade variety, strong, liquid
400 g	Medjool dates, use the Trade Aid variety, chopped, reserve some for the topping (Main)
1 ½ cups	Flour
2 tsp	Baking powder

Icing

2 cups	Icing sugar
2 Tbsp	Coffee, use the Fair Trade variety, strong, liquid
50 g	Butter, melted
1	Water, boling, to mix

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 150C. 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.