Monday 2 September 2013

Knoxapocalypse: Maple Fluff




This week, I’m participating in something called “Knoxapocalypse” with other food bloggers from far-away places like England and the United States. We all swapped recipes that called for gelatin. I got something called Maple Fluff, courtesy of Bitter Sweet Susie.

Folks, Maple Fluff whipped me into a frenzy. It took an hour to make, which is 58 minutes longer than most caker recipes. Then there were all these phrases I’d never heard before, like “stir constantly” and “egg whites.” Honestly, I was going bananas.

So was the end result worth it?

Well, it looked like chunky, taupe vomit going into the fridge. (I may have folded in the egg whites too soon, but I was getting impatient, what with Mother hollering that it was time for Mystery Detectives on the Nancy Grace channel.) But I have to say – Maple Fluff tasted fan-fluffing-tastic. Kind of like a maple custard tart. Only better. Because it was a big maple custard tart.

Would I eat it again? You bet. Would I make it again? Hell, no.

2 tablespoons unflavoured gelatin
¼ cup cold water
1 pint cream
2 eggs, separated
1 cup maple sirup (see note 1)
½ cup shredded coconut
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon almond extract.

Soften gelatin in cold water. Heat cream over hot water, then pour slowly over slightly beaten egg yolks. Return mixture to double boiler and cook 5 minutes, or until it starts to thicken, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in softened gelatin. Add maple sirup and cool. When mixture begins to thicken, add coconut, salt and almond flavoring. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into mixture (see note 2). Pour into individual molds and chill until firm (see note 3). Serve plain or top with sweetened whipped cream, sprinkled with toasted coconut. Serves 8.

Note 1: Yes, I know how to spell syrup. But that’s how the book spelt it.

Note 2: I didn’t get salmonella, but I was worried.

Note 3: Do you have 8 individual molds sitting in your cupboard, just waiting to be used? I sure don’t. (I don't even have 8 friends.) So I poured everything into one big mold.

So what did my fellow food bloggers get up to? Check out their Knoxapocalypse creations, but BE WARNED. Some of this stuff ain't pretty:

Betty Davis' Mustard Ring made by Retro Recipes
Melon Mousse made by Bitter Sweet Susie
Olive Wreath Mold made by Dinner is Served
Molded Avocado and Tuna made by The Retro WW Experiment
Turkey in Aspic by Silver Screen Suppers
Pickle and Pineapple Salad by Mid-Century Menu


Source: 250 Delectable Desserts

25 comments:

  1. Mmmm - that looks bloody lovely. And I do like getting a new descriptive word for food: fan-fluffing-tastic is tops in my book. Mind you, I guess I'll have to make something involving fluff.

    My Turkey in Aspic was aspictastic - not.

    But I LOVED being part of this insane challenge.

    Jenny from Silver Screen Suppers xxx

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    Replies
    1. Jenny, your turkey in aspic is to die for. No, really. If I had to eat it, I'd die. Maybe I'm just too much of a fuddy duddy for not believing that meat should ever be trapped in gel.

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    2. In agreement! I've always been mildly suspicious of meat encased in gel myself. Case in point- headcheese.

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    3. Headcheese. An example of words that should never appear side by side.

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  2. I'd have to agree with you that it's not a looker - sure it tasted great though. But hey - I've just been researching flummery and starting to think that it sounds like a good idea. I think week 7 of the kitchen renovation is sending me slightly insane. Maybe some multi coloured sugar sprinkles on the top?

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    1. I had to haul out the dictionary (a.k.a. Google) to find out what flummery is. I think seven weeks of kitchen renos would drive anyone up the wall. Sprinkles will help, so long as they're not part of the reno. Believe me - a sprinkle-crusted kitchen counter may be pretty, but it's not practical.

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    2. Wait. You meant sprinkles on the fluff and not as part of your kitchen reno. I suppose you could put sprinkles on top of this, but why interfere with all that beige?

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  3. I am so over the whole "beat egg whites til stiff" thing. When I see that in recipe instructions, I immediately turn the page. Ain't nobody got time for that! Nice job on your challenge! It looks both yummy and disgusting at the same time! PS- I am speilling it sirup from now on...

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    1. I thought "sirup" might've been code for Aunt Jemima or something. Like a "wink, wink" sort of thing. But who knows? Language changes. In the olden days, people used to say things like, "Could thou pass me the catsup?" or "Forwith could thine pass me the lantern so that I mayeth visit the outhouse?"

      You did a GREAT job on the tuna avocado mold! Your presentation was flawless. Too bad it gave you heartburn.

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  4. Maybe the recent dental surgery has altered my perspective or something, but I thought it looked like something I could really enjoy. There's something to be said for food you can just mash against the one functioning side of your mouth.

    "Sirup" seems to have disappeared from cookbooks around the same time as, "cooky". By the late sixties they're both largely gone.

    I'd have stuck a few of those people shaped maple sugar candies in head first like casualties in a Mt. Maple Sirup avalanche. I dunno, I think your fluff looks downright elegant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hear your re. the food mashing. I mean, chewing can take up so much time. It's just easier to slap your tongue against your upper palate.
      I have a Betty Crocker Cooky Book in my collection, I think. I always wondered if it was a typo.

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  5. Replies
    1. No. And for the record, no one can un-break your heart, either. In spite of that Toni Braxton song.

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  6. How fitting that the Canadian received the maple dish!
    I really want to try this one. Sounds deelish.

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    Replies
    1. The only thing that could've made this dish more Canadian would've been a Mountie hat perched on top and a beaver tail sticking out the back.

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  7. Yikes! Although alarming in appearance I guess it probably tastes good, cause frankly maple sirup over anything makes it all taste better. Kudos to you for taking up the gelatin gauntlet and rising to the challenge Brian!

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    1. You could pour maple sirup over a tire and I'd probably give it a go. I appreciate the kudos, but please don't make me out to be some kind of gelatin hero. I'm only a simple man. Yes, I lost an hour of my life making this dish, but that doesn't make me better than anyone else.

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  8. Whoa. I thought the entire point of gelatin stuff was you could quickly throw it together and then walk away for a long time. Kudos for sticking to it, and for trying it after it came out looking like... well, that.

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    1. I know, right? I thought gelatin was supposed to make life easier. The entire process just stressed me out. And I've eaten things that looks WAY worse.
      Speaking of which, I had to throw out a JELL-O salad tonight that I planned to use for an upcoming post. The reason? It never set. I'm thisclose to banishing gelatinous substances from my life.

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  9. You know, if it wasn't so much bother I might want to make this for Tom! But thank you for making this one. We do important work. The world needs to know what these taste like!

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    Replies
    1. No need to make it for Tom. I'm FedExing a piece right now. Of course, by the time it reaches you, it'll have to be renamed "Maple Flat."

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  10. Was this your first gelatin mold? Because you did a great job and I think you should make more!!!!

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    1. Alas, it wasn't my first gelatin mold. I did a month of gelatin dishes back in July of 2011. You can search for it on the blog, but most were a disaster. I feel like I'm trapped in a dysfunctional gelatin relationship.

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  11. Good lord, it uses a double boiler!!

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    1. I don't even own a double boiler, so you can imagine the pandemonium in my kitchen when I got to that part.

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