Press Release

Mar 2009

Cook up a delicious Easter with Tropical Wholefoods

Tropical Wholefoods, pioneer of sun-dried tropical fruits, has come up with two delicious Easter recipes - including a classic Simnel cake and a creative twist on the traditional hot cross bun.

The recipes use products from the Tropical Wholefoods range and demonstrate the versatility of the products which include newly-introduced apricot kernels from Pakistan.

The hot cross bun recipe uses dried mango and apricots to replace the usual currants and is a great way to encourage children to have a go at baking.

The Simnel cake contains dried mango, pineapple and apricot, while the 'apostle' decorations on the top - 11 balls to represent the apostles minus Judas - are made using ground apricot kernel. The cake will make a fabulous centrepiece for any dining table on Easter Sunday.

Kate Sebag, Marketing Director of Tropical Wholefoods, says: "These recipes will make Easter taste extra special for families. Although the cake looks very professional, it is relatively simple to make and the hot cross buns taste so great fresh from the oven I guarantee they will be eaten in one sitting!"

The Tropical Wholefoods range - in striking new packaging - includes sun dried bananas, apricots, pineapple, mango, snack bars and apricot kernels in three flavours.

Many of the products are organic and and carry the FAIRTRADE Mark.

RECIPES

Fairtrade Simnel Cake
This is a lovely cake to make at Easter, full of fruity nutty flavours and Fairtrade goodness.
The eleven marzipan balls represent Jesus' apostles with Judas excluded. You can have
fun decorating the cake with spring flowers and ribbon.
Ingredients
For the Cake
175g light muscovado sugar
175g butter, softened
175g self raising flour
3 large eggs
25g ground almonds
2 tbsp milk
100g Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade Organic Dried Mango, chopped into 1.5cm pieces
100g Tropical Wholefoods Sun Dried Pineapple, chopped into 1.5cm pieces
100g Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade Sun Dried Apricots, chopped into 1.5cm pieces
100g stem ginger, finely chopped
2 tsp ground ginger
For the almond marzipan to cover the cake
200g icing sugar
125g ground almonds
half a large egg yolk beaten
2 tbs of orange juice
3 drops of almond essence
For the apricot kernel marzipan centre of the cake and "the apostle balls"
200g icing sugar
125g Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade natural apricot kernels
half a large egg yolk beaten
2 tbs of orange juice
3 drops of almond essence
To decorate
Spring flowers
Beaten egg
A ribbon

Method
1. Preheat oven 160C/320F/Gas 3
2. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm/8in deep, round cake tin with baking parchment
3. Combine all the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl or food processor and beat well until thoroughly blended. Place half the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.
4.To make the apricot kernel marzipan centre and "apostle balls", grind the apricot kernels to a powder in an electric grinder. Place the ground kernels and icing sugar in a food
processor. Process, slowly dripping in the egg yolk, orange juice and almond essence until you have a smooth pliable paste. Set aside about a third of this marzipan for the balls with which to decorate the cake.
5. Scatter icing sugar on a board and roll out remaining kernel paste into a circle to cover the cake mixture. Place the circle over the cake mixture, spoon the remaining cake mixture on top of the paste and level the surface.
6. Bake for about one and three-quarter to two hours or until golden brown and firm in the middle. If toward the end of the cooking time the cake is getting too brown, loosely cover with a piece of foil. Allow the cake to cool in the tin before turning onto a cooling rack.
7. Whilst the cake is baking, make the almond marzipan for the top of the cake in the same way as the apricot kernel marzipan.
8. When the cake is cool, roll out the almond marzipan on an icing sugar covered board and use it to cover the cake. Then make the 11 even sized balls out of apricot kernel marzipan and arrange the around the edge of the cake.
9. Lightly brush with a beaten egg and glaze under a hot grill for about five minutes turning the cake so it browns evenly. You could use a blow-torch for this if you prefer.
10. Tie spring coloured ribbon around the edge of the cake and scatter a few narcissi or primroses in the centre for decoration.

Fairtrade Hot Cross Buns
A fun twist on traditional Hot Cross Buns, making them with Fairtrade dried apricots and
mangoes. Delicious toasted and buttered, and also with apricot jam.
Makes about 12 buns.
Ingredients:
50g, plus 1 level tsp, caster sugar
1 level tbs dried yeast (do not use the easy-blend dried yeast.)
450g plain flour
1 level tsp salt
1 rounded tsp mixed spice
50g Tropical Wholefoods Organic Fairtrade Mango chopped into 1cm pieces
75g Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade Sun Dried Apricots chopped into 1cm pieces
40-55 ml warmed milk
1 egg, beaten
50 g butter, melted

For the glaze:
2 level tbs granulated sugar
2 tbs water

For the crosses:
4 oz (110 g) plain flour
3 tbs water
You will also need a greased baking sheet.
Method

1. First stir the teaspoon of caster sugar into 150 ml hand-hot water, then sprinkle in the dried yeast and leave it until a good frothy 'beer' head forms.
2. Meanwhile sift the flour, salt and mixed spice into a mixing bowl and add the remaining 50 g of sugar, and the chopped dried fruits.
3. Make a well in the centre, pour in the yeast mixture plus 40 ml of milk (again hand- hot), the beaten egg and the melted butter. Now mix it to a dough, starting with a wooden spoon and finishing with your hands (add a spot more milk if it needs it).
4. Transfer the dough on to a clean surface and knead it until it feels smooth and elastic - about 6 minutes.
5. Now pop it back into the bowl, cover the bowl with a lightly oiled plastic bag, and leave it in a warm place to rise - it will take about an hour to double its original size.
6. Turn it out and knead it again, back down to its original size.
7. Divide the mixture into 12 round portions, arrange them on the greased baking sheet (allowing plenty of room for expansion). Leave them to rise once more, covering again
with the oiled polythene bag, for about 25 minutes. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7.
8. For the crosses, mix the flour and water, roll out thinly and divide into small strips, dampen and place on top of the buns before baking.
9. Bake the buns for about 15 minutes. While they're cooking, make the glaze by melting the sugar and water over a gentle heat. Brush the buns with the glaze as soon as they come out of the oven, to make them nice and sticky.

For more information, samples, packshots and other images please contact Helen Riley helenriley@headlinemedia.co.uk 020 8348 3103 / 07931 300 425 or Margaret Rooke margaretrooke@btinternet.com 0790 44 55 666.

Notes to Editors
Tropical Wholefoods' range of products includes: organic Fairtrade mango, sun-dried pineapple, chewy banana chips, bogoya bananas, Fairtrade apricots, Fairtrade apricot kernels (3 flavours), 4 types of dried mushrooms - organic chanterelles, shiitake, porcini, oysters, 6 flavours of organic, Fairtrade fruit and cereal bars - mango & brazil, date & walnut, apricot & kernel, pineapple & cashew, banana & honey, tropical fruit bar. Pack sizes range from 50g to 150g. Bars are 40g. All fruits are also available in bulk on line.

The company was established by husband and wife team Adam Brett and Kate Sebag seventeen years ago in order to win lasting markets for farmers in developing countries. It supplies its branded products to supermarkets and also supplies dried fruit to them for use in their own brand products. Most of their products carry the FAIRTRADE Mark, the only independent consumer guarantee of a fair deal for farmers in developing countries. In the UK the FAIRTRADE Mark is administered by the Fairtrade Foundation. Tropical Wholefoods supplies Tesco, Sainsbury, Morrisons, Oxfam, Boots and smaller health food and fair trade stores nationwide. It has a significant niche in the independent sector with products well known for their healthy and ethical qualities.

Tropical Wholefoods works with business partners in some of the world's poorer countries. It buys dried bananas and pineapples from Fruits of the Nile in Uganda which in turn works with more than 700 farmers. It buys dried apricots, walnuts, almonds and apricot kernels from Mountain Fruits which works with more than 1500 farmers in the remote, arid mountains of northern Pakistan. It buys dried mangoes and cashews from Farming Associations WOUOL and TON in Burkina Faso.

The company which packs and bakes all its own products on site, employs 30 people in Sunderland and three in London.