Fairtrade Surprise Chocolate Brownies

Nearly everyone loves chocolate brownies. These are suitable if you are entertaining vegetarians or vegans. Use fairtrade ingredients if you can.

Makes 16
Preparation time: 35 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
 
Suitable for vegans
 

Ingredients

225g Fairtrade dates
60g wholemeal flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp Fairtrade cocoa powder, sieved
100g vegan margarine
1 very ripe Fairtrade banana, mashed
75g Fairtrade walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
1 tsp Fairtrade vanilla essence
Vegetable oil for greasing
 

Stage one

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
2. Place the Fairtrade dates in a medium saucepan with just enough water to cover them. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until soft.
3. Once the dates have cooked, drain off the hot water, and run them under a cold tap to cool.
4. Purée the dates. (A hand blender works well for puréeing).
 

Stage two

1. In a small mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and Fairtrade cocoa powder, then set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, using a fork, cream together the dates and the margarine until light and fluffy.
3. Stir the sifted flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into the date and margarine mixture.
4. Add the Fairtrade banana, nuts (optional) and vanilla essence.
 

Stage three

1. Lightly oil the baking dish, then evenly spread the mixture into it, smoothing the top with a spoon.
2. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the brownies start to come away from the sides of the dish.
3. Allow to cool in the pan, cut and serve.
 
© The Vegetarian Society 2009 – (recipe taken from the booklet Veggie Kids’ Kitchen, available for free from the Vegetarian Society) Tel: 0161 925 2000 www.vegsoc.org

Check out the other great vegetarian recipes on this site.