Anything Whipped Cream Can Do, Marshmallow Whip Can Do Better

It was the first time I’d seen my parents in person since thepandemicbegan. My partner and I had driven 18 hours over two days. We’d taken the scenic route through the totally beautiful—and occasionally painfully slow—Shenandoah National Park’sSkyline Drive. We were tired of being in the car. We were tired, period. I was happy, at least, that we’d sprung for the upgraded lumbar support. And my mother could not stop talking about how good the whipped cream was.

To be fair, we’d pulled into their driveway about 24 hours prior, so there’d been plenty of time for hugs and other pleasantries, plus plenty of relaxation and the stretching necessary following a two-day road trip. That night we grilledchicken kebabson their covered back porch, surrounded by vibrant green hydrangeas. (After having spent a year and a half in my apartment with zero outdoor space, I will never again take for granted the glory that is standing outside while remaining within the comfort of your own home.)

After dinner I pulled out the pie that I’d been testing for work. It’s anube numberfrom Epi contributorArlyn Osborne—which I and everyone else who’s tasted it would encourage you to add to your roster ofholiday desserts.

The pie is similar in texture topumpkinandsweet potatopies, but with the distinct flavor of ube, or Philippine purple yams: earthy-sweet with notes of vanilla and pistachio. Osborne told me that when she was developing the pie, she couldn’t decide betweenwhipped creamor marshmallows for the topping. Then, she figured, “you can’t go wrong with both!”

Now, Osborne isn’t asking you to fuss overhomemade marshmallowshere. Instead, she whips a little jarredmarshmallow fluffinto heavy cream, which both sweetens the cream and gives it more body than a standardchantillyhas. There’s also a little powdered sugar in the mix, which rounds out the sweetness without making your topping too cloying. If you areveryinto the flavor of marshmallow fluff, you can eliminate the sugar and bump up the fluff from ¼ cup to ⅓ cup. If you go the sugar route, I recommend using anorganic brand made with tapioca(not cornstarch) for the best texture.

Marshmallow whip lives somewhere between mainstreamwhipped cream(which I absolutely love and will eat by the spoonfulasdessert whenever necessary) and mousse. It’s cloudlike but with a slightly denser structure than most whipped toppings. And the flavor has the vanilla-laced, candylike essence of marshmallow that, for me, makes it taste like something from childhood.

It would be a welcome dollop on any of yourThanksgiving pies—not to mention ice creamsundaes, mugs ofhot cocoa, or aFrench toastbreakfast—but it goes especially well with Osborne’s ube pie. And the bonus is that the marshmallow whipped cream stores well in the fridge for at least two days. The cooked nature of the marshmallow fluff makes for a more stable whipped topping.

As we sat around the table, fawning over our slices of pie (which I’d very sparingly piped with rosettes of the topping, just around the edge), my mother reached for the bowl of the “extra whipped topping” Osborne recommends serving on the side. She spooned a little more whipped cream onto her plate and raved again about its merits: how good it tasted and how fun the texture was. Months later we’re now planning our Thanksgiving vacation, which will be my parents’ first big trip in more than two years. Themenuis yet to be finalized, but one request made its way to the top of the list early on. I’ll let you guess what it is.

Ube Pie With Marshmallow Whip

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