From chef Brandon Baltzley:
The United States has carried on an epic love story with Fluff, especially Marshmallow Fluff and peanut butter on a white bread sandwich.
We also seem fascinated by the fluff we digest in the news, in romantic movies and in our quotidian lives.
One might be tempted to reduce this diatribe to fluff being bad, but I believe there's a time and a place for fluff.
No one can claim they haven't indulged in reading a tabloid story (we're looking at you, Eater.com ) or watching some feel-good movie starring Drew Barrymore or Jennifer Lopez.
We all need a sugar high once in a while.
When it comes to the edible stuff, here's how to make your own fluff. (Editor's note: This is a loose recipe perhaps better suited for voyeurism.)
I'm a fan of chemicals inside the kitchen and out. A home cook may not have these ingredients. So if you're following along, you're going to need to pick up a few things.
Ingredients
1. Glucose.
This is the best thing since microwave burritos. It's naturally viscous, which you need for this application. And it is half as sweet as simple syrup.
2. Versawhip.
This pure, enzymatically-treated soy protein is a miracle powder. It replaces egg whites in this marshmallow equation.
From here you can make fluff from just about anything, whether it's maple syrup or pumpkin.
3. I chose Chartreuse.
How-To
I poured the entire bottle into a saucepan and turned the stove to medium high. I used a flat-top, but if you're using gas, watch out for flames.
I started by reducing the bottle by half. It will take approximately 30 minutes and will smelll like herbs and licorice as it reduces.
From there I added about 360 grams of glucose and a pinch of salt. You have to cook this solution until it reaches 250 degrees Fahrenheit. When it's ready, the mixture will show a lot of small bubbles.
Remove from heat and throw reduction in a standing mixer. Begin whipping to cool the syrup down. Once it's not so hot you can gradually add Versawhip.
You are looking for a foam, similar to meringue you'd get using egg whites.
After whipping for about 12 minutes you will be left with a vegan marshmallow chartreuse fluff to pipe on a dish or spread on a sandwich, if you wish.
The top photo is chartreuse fluff from CRUX's Calgary Petroleum Club Dinner with Liana Robberecht. It is toasted chartreuse marshmallow, cassis pate de fruit, mustard greens and chestnut-cherry soup (not shown) poured tableside.
Brandon Baltzley is a chef behind Crux, a mobile collaborative currently based in Pittsburgh. His book "Nine Lives: A Chef's Journey from Chaos to Control " will be released in May 2013.
Brandon Baltzley photos
Tags: • Brandon Baltzley • Crux Restaurant
First Published: July 3, 2015, 12:27 a.m.
