Easy Homemade Pailleté Feuilletine

One of those small ingredients that makes a world of difference in French pastry is Pailleté Feuilletine. Delicate, paper-thin, almost airy flakes that look like tiny golden shards. They are, in essence, fragments of an ultra-thin crêpe that has been baked until perfectly crisp, then crumbled into fine, feather-light pieces. Their texture is impossibly delicate, yet the moment they enter a dessert, they transform it completely.

But before we talk about Pailleté Feuilletine, we need to first get acquainted with the original product it comes from: the Crêpe Dentelle, or “lace crêpe.” A whisper-thin, rolled, and baked crêpe with the texture of a delicate waffle, reminiscent of those classic rolled wafer cookies we all know and love.

The story of the Crêpe Dentelle, as it goes, begins in 1886 in the city of Quimper in Brittany, where yet another happy kitchen accident changed everything. A crêpe left too long on the billig (the hot iron surface used for crêpe-making) transformed into something golden, crisp, and caramel-like, with the most wonderful toasted waffle flavor. And just like that, the Crêpe Dentelle was born.

In 1920, the Gavottes biscuiterie opened in the Loc Maria quarter, specializing in artisanal Crêpe Dentelle production where every single crêpe was rolled by hand. As demand grew, machines were introduced and production became industrial. Today, the factory is located in the city of Dinan in Brittany, producing a wide range of products, with Crêpe Dentelle and its variations still leading the way.

The Crêpe Dentelle is deeply beloved by the French, and especially by pastry chefs who use it generously in their creations. In pâtisserie and chocolaterie, it typically appears in the form of Pailleté Feuilletine, which is simply crumbled Crêpe Dentelle. And since Gavottes is so iconic in this space, many in France simply call Pailleté Feuilletine “Gavottes crumbs.”

In the world of French pastry, feuilletine is used primarily to create crispy layers that hide inside elegant desserts. One of the great classics is mixing the flakes with praliné and chocolate to create a crunchy layer nestled between soft mousses and delicate creams. The bite you get is exactly what we all love so much, a perfect interplay of creamy, soft, and crunchy.

I absolutely love incorporating feuilletine with chocolate and praliné, which is why my chocolate praliné crunch bar is one of the recipes my followers know best. It’s a treat I first created many years ago, back when praliné was hard to find, and feuilletine was practically unheard of. Today, specialty stores carry all of these ingredients, but the truth is, you can also make feuilletine at home without any trouble at all.

This time, I chose to make a cocoa version, though you can absolutely make it plain, without any additions. One important note: feuilletine does not like moisture. The most heartbreaking thing that can happen to it is losing its crunch and turning soft and pliable – the exact opposite of what it is meant to bring to any dessert it touches.

Making Crêpe Dentelle requires patience and technique, both of which can absolutely be learned. My recommendation, especially the first time around, is to start with the simple Pailleté Feuilletine. Once you get a feel for the batter, you can try your hand at the Crêpe Dentelle technique, rolling the crêpes into cylinders.

A Few Tips Before You Begin
♥ Pailleté Feuilletine-  Bake the first sheet for about 5 to 6 minutes, remove from the oven, and let it cool completely before checking whether it has crisped up properly and has that satisfying crunch. If not, give it another 30 seconds to a minute.
♣ Crêpe Dentelle-  Bake only one or two rectangles at a time, since the batter hardens quickly and cannot be rolled once it sets. It requires patience, but it is absolutely worth it if you love the final result.
♠ Moisture is the enemy of both Pailleté Feuilletine and Crêpe Dentelle. If you plan to store them, always keep them in an airtight container.
♦ Coating Crêpe Dentelle fully in chocolate prevents moisture from getting in, and also happens to be absolutely delicious 🙂

Easy Homemade Pailleté Feuilletine

Ingredients 
60g very soft butter
60g sifted confectioners’ sugar
60g egg whites (from approximately 2 medium eggs)
50g sifted flour (for the plain version without cocoa, use 60g flour)
10g sifted cocoa powder

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan/convection). Line large baking trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and confectioners’ sugar until you have a smooth, uniform mixture.
3. Add the egg whites and whisk to combine. The mixture will look uneven at this stage, that is perfectly fine.
4. Add the flour and cocoa (or just flour for the plain version) and whisk until you have a smooth, glossy batter.
5. For Pailleté Feuilletine: Spread the batter onto the parchment paper in an extremely thin layer, think thick paper.
6. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, remove from the oven, and set aside to cool completely. If you have batter remaining, repeat the process as many times as needed.
7. Once the feuilletine sheets are fully cooled, break them into small shards and store in an airtight container. Use as soon as possible after making for the best texture.
8. For Crêpe Dentelle: Place a spoonful of batter onto the parchment paper and use a small offset spatula to spread it into a thin rectangle of your desired width.
9. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, remove from the oven, and immediately roll the rectangle around a thin wooden dowel or a reusable metal straw.
10. Hold it in place for a few seconds until the cylinder sets, then set aside to cool.
11. Continue with the remaining batter, baking one or two rectangles at a time.
12. Once the Crêpe Dentelle have cooled and hardened completely, you can fill them with chocolate spread, caramel, or dip them in chocolate. Absolutely divine!

Bon-Appétit
Sharon