I have no idea who invented feuilletine or when, its history evolved en francais. Jacques Torres (no surprise) championed it in America as far back as the mid 90s. Sometime in the early aughts, he used it in a baking demo I attended at CIA. I have no idea what he made, only that it contained the mystical feuilletine.

Back then, he recommended Rice Krispies as a substitute. Feuilletine and cereal do have a lot in common, though I think they favor Corn Flakes, if anything. Both are strangely compelling to eat by the handful, but cereal’s got nothin’ on feuilletine’s buttery, caramelized flavor.

Tasty as it is, feuilletine doesn’t constitute a dessert of its own. Instead, it shows up in recipes as an ingredient used to add textural contrast to otherwise creamy sweets. You’ll see it folded into mousse or stirred into ganache, or simply sprinkled between layers of cake and filling. I use it to accompany individual cheesecakes when I want a change from graham crackers, as a replacement for granola in parfait, or as a bed for a scoop of ice cream.

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