What Is A Fluffernutter Sandwich? A Look Back In History
The famous fluffernutter sandwich was invented in 1918 in Massachusettes. It was originally called the “Liberty Sandwich” and was created by a company that produced a marshmallow creme spread. The recipe was placed in a small promotional booklet demonstrating the various uses for the marshmallow creme spread.
A fluffernutter sandwich consists of two slices of white bread spread with peanut butter and fluff (marshmallow creme). It’s a combination of sweet and salty with the savory peanut butter and ultra-sweet fluff. It’s thick, rich, sweet, sticky, and very indulgent. This sandwich is a classic childhood food that is deeply rooted in New England and more specifically, it’s the birthplace, Massachusettes.
There had been mentions of a marshmallow spread in recipe books prior to 1918 but it was referred to as marshmallow frosting and never really gained much popularity. During the early 1900s, there were several companies selling a marshmallow creme but none were exceptionally popular.
Today, half of all fluff sales are from New England.
The Liberty Sandwich is Introduced
In 1913 brother and sister Amory and Emma Curtis (the great-great-great-grandchildren of Paul Revere) started making their own version of marshmallow creme spread. Within the span of 2 years, the product was selling all over the country and Amory and Emma moved operations from their basement to an entire factory.
Emma had a special way with marketing that set her product apart from other marshmallow spreads. She included lots of promotional flyers and recipes as well as selling samples door-to-door and around busy areas. The original “Liberty Sandwich” (marshmallow creme and peanut butter) was Emma’s creation and it was her idea to include it in a promotional booklet.
Emma and Amory’s business flourished until 1962 when their factory was burned down by arsonists. Emma had died nearly 15 years earlier and Amory was running the company with a cousin. The company never reopened.
Many people use fluff as a hot cocoa topping in place of marshmallows.
The Fluffernutter As We Know It
The fluff that is now synonymous with the fluffernutter is owned by Durkee-Mower Inc. They bought the recipe for $500 during WWII from a man that was unable to keep the marshmallow creme business going. The war brought lots of food shortages including sugar which is the primary ingredient for fluff. Durkee-Mower opened its factory in 1929 in Lynn, Massachusettes where the factory remains today.
The fluffernutter did not receive it’s current day name until the 1960’s when an advertising agency thought the name was more catchy. Up until then, it was always referred to at the liberty sandwich. Durkee-Mower hired the advertising agency in an attempt to directly market the sandwich. It definitely worked and grew so popular that the company trademarked the term Fluffernutter.
October 8th is National Fluffernutter Day
Somerville, Massachusettes holds an annual festival celebrating fluff and the fluffernutter sandwich. The festival is called ‘What the Fluff?’ and includes music, dancing, games, cooking contests and of course lots and lots of fluff eating.
As you can imagine there are currently thousands of variations and recipes for the fluffernutter. Some include adding nuts, sliced banana or chocolate chips to the sandwich while others take the combination of peanut butter and fluff and turn it into other treats. Fluffernutter cookies, brownies, pie, ice cream, cupcakes, crepes, dips, and much more.
Today the makers of Marshmallow Fluff, Durkee-Mower Inc, sell close to 7 million pounds of fluff each year. Shockingly enough half of all those sales come from the New England states. The family-run company produces just one product, fluff and they plan to keep it that way.
