A fluffernutter is a sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow creme. Its name comes from the common use of "Marshmallow Fluff" brand marshmallow creme.[1] It is particularly popular in the Northeastern United States and has been proposed as the official Massachusetts state sandwich.[2]
A fluffernutter is made by spreading peanut butter on a slice of white bread, then spreading an equal amount of some kind of marshmallow (small, large or cream) on another slice, and finally combining them together to form a sandwich. Variations of the recipe include wheat bread instead of white, Nutella hazelnut spread instead of peanut butter, and the addition of bananas, honey, or other ingredients that are compatible with peanut butter, or the addition of chips (potato chips, corn chips, etc.) inside of the sandwich instead of on the side.
In June 2006, Massachusetts state senator Jarrett Barrios gained national attention when he proposed legislation restricting the serving of fluffernutter sandwiches in public schools. The proposal was criticized as an example of trivial and overly intrusive legislation, while Barrios' supporters pointed to concerns over the problem of childhood obesity.[3]
"Fluffernutter" is a registered trademark of Durkee-Mower Inc., the maker of "Marshmallow Fluff" brand marshmallow creme. However, Durkee-Mower's US trademark registrations for fluffernutter cover only ice cream and printed recipes. In 2006, Durkee-Mower sued Williams-Sonoma Inc. in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, alleging that Williams-Sonoma was selling a marshmallow and peanut butter chocolate-covered candy under the "Fluffernutter" name.[4]
Fluffernutter was also the name of a candy briefly produced by the Boyer Brothers candy company.[5]