A Virginia bakery inadvertently invented the 'bronut'

MarieBette, a café and bakery in Charlottesville, Virginia, added a classic French viennoiserie to its menu this week. 

It's called a brioche feuilletée, but a local blog has dubbed it the Bronut - and the food blogosphere has taken note. 

Meringue-like in shape and croissant-like in construction, the Bronut is made of many, many layers of butter and brioche, with a sprinkling of sugar on top.

MarieBette co-owner and baker Patrick Evans told us he hadn't planned to keep the item on the menu for more than a week, but, by popular request, he'll probably keep it around for a bit longer. 

The menu lists the pastry under its classic name, and Evans says the Cronut comparison never even entered his mind. 

The blog Charlottesville 29, which coined the term Bronut (and also threw out "broissant"), describes the taste as "a cross between brioche, a croissant, and a donut."

Considering that this Friday is National Doughnut Day, the Bronut news couldn't come at a better time, for donut lovers or the tiny Virginia bakery.