It's Fairtrade Fortnight (until 8 March) and The Simple Things is celebrating with a trio of delicious and ethically responsible chocolate-based recipes. We think you might want to join us...
Over the past 20 years, the FAIRTRADE mark has become the best known ethical label in the UK. The Fairtrade movement has generated significant economic benefits for farmers and workers around the world, from cocoa growers in Ghana to sugar farmers in Belize. In 2015, the Fairtrade Foundation wants to see more people choosing products that change lives - so that greater impact can be achieved over the next 20 years and beyond.
70% of the world’s food is produced by 500 million smallholder farmers yet many of them can’t feed their families. And many farmers who are part of the Fairtrade system are still not selling all their produce as Fairtrade to work their way out of real poverty. For example, tea growers are selling less than 10% of total production as Fairtrade.
Fairtrade Fortnight 2015 turns the spotlight on the famers and workers who grow our favourite food, to share their compelling stories and remind everyone of the dramatic difference Fairtrade makes and why it is still needed.
Focusing on three ingredients we couldn't live without - cocoa, tea and sugar - try one of three Fairtrade Fortnight recipes we'll be bringing you this week.
Farmhouse chocolate and banana bread
Makes 1 loaf
225g self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
100g butter at room temperature
175g caster sugar
2 large free-range eggs, beaten
2 very ripe bananas
3 tablespoons milk
100g dark (70% or 85% cocoa solids) chocolate, chopped into very small pieces
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and line a 23 x 13cm loaf tin.
2. Sift the flour and salt.
3. Cream the butter and sugar, for ease in a food processor. Add the eggs, bananas and milk and mix thoroughly. Next add the flour and salt, but stop mixing as soon as the ingredients come together.
4. Fold half of the chopped chocolate into the mixture. This must be done using a spoon – do not use a food processor for this.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, sprinkle the rest of the chocolate on top of the mixture and push the pieces in slightly.
6. Bake in the centre of the oven for between 45 minutes and 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Tip:
When mixing the wet and dry ingredients, do not work the mixture too much as that will release the gluten in the flour and make for a heavier texture. For this reason, stop when the mixture has just come together.