Whoopie Pies
This is a Fluff appreciation post.
In my hunt for the perfect Whoopie Pie recipe, I came across myriad different frostings. Some had a more or less standard buttercream (it won’t fail you, but it didn’t excite me either). Others incorporated sour cream (typically my Achilles heel, but this time I resisted). Once America’s Test Kitchen showcased Fluff in their frosting, I was sold.
If you, like me, grew up in the Northeast then Fluff is in your blood. Who among us weren’t sent to school with a Fluffernutter, a Macintosh apple, and a Juicy Juice juice box? Whose only reward for shoveling out the driveway was a dollop of Fluff on top of their hot chocolate? Who else thought “Never Fail Fudge” was the height of confection?
For those of you who didn’t grow up in the greater New England area, Fluff is a marshmallow spread. A Fluffernutter is a peanut butter and Fluff sandwich. “Never Fail Fudge” was the fudge recipe printed on the back of the jar. Fluff was simple, straightforward, and shelf stable. I vaguely remember strawberry Fluff (was this a seasonal/holiday product?), but mostly it’s the red cap on the distinctive jar with the iconic logo. Pure nostalgia.
Over the years, as I “got into food” Fluff fell off my grocery list. Besides the occasional campfire s’more, marshmallows weren’t an ingredient I often sought out. I’ve read often about how the pandemic has spurred a demand for comfort food. Restaurants, recipe bloggers, and best-selling cookbooks have all seen the same trend - when told to shelter in place for the better part of a year, our baser food instincts kick in. Apparently I had reached the Fluff phase of the pandemic, because the word “Fluff” LEAPT off the page and I was THRILLED for our reunion.
I quickly found out that Fluff has stood the test of time in more ways than one. Of course, it’s still delicious. But it also represents so many of the things I have come to value in food. First, it’s local. Invented and still manufactured in Lynn, MA, it’s a bonafide local business. Second, it’s ingredient list is recognizable. Corn syrup, sugar, dried egg whites, vanillin. (I said the ingredients were recognizable, not healthy). Lastly, it’s an early example of investing in the people who invest in your product. During World War II, sugar rationing meant that Fluff had to limit its production. Instead of forcing some sort of bidding war, they sold Fluff to each grocer based on their sales from the previous year. And I’m not the only one who appreciates Fluff! Every year, the “What the Fluff Festival” is held in the heart of Somerville. (More metaphorically than literally in 2020).
It may not be the most glamorous ingredient, but its staying power speaks for itself. And it makes a damn delicious frosting.
Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen.