Description
These Creme Brûlée Cookies combine the rich, creamy custard flavor of classic crème brûlée with a sweet, buttery sugar cookie base. Featuring a homemade vanilla pastry cream with a caramelized sugar topping, these cookies offer a delightful contrast of creamy filling and crunchy sugar crust, perfect as an elegant dessert treat.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) whole milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (225 g) granulated white sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 3 1/2 tbsp (28 g) cornstarch
- 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, cut in cubes
Sugar Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cup (250 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar (for rolling the dough)
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar (for the brûlée topping)
Instructions
- Prepare Vanilla Pastry Cream: In a medium saucepan, heat the whole milk over medium-low heat until just steaming, then reduce heat to low and keep warm.
- Mix Egg Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste, and cornstarch until smooth and pale yellow.
- Temper the Eggs: Gradually add 1/4 of the warm milk to the egg mixture while stirring vigorously; then add the remaining milk and stir to combine thoroughly.
- Cook Custard: Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking continuously for 8-12 minutes until thickened and soft peaks form.
- Finish Pastry Cream: Remove from heat, stir in cubed butter until fully incorporated; cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation and chill in refrigerator until cold.
- Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Sheets: Set oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients for Cookies: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for about 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Add Egg & Vanilla: Mix in the egg and vanilla bean paste on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Combine Dry & Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture on low speed just until the dough comes together.
- Form Cookies: Scoop dough into large balls using a cookie scoop, then roll each ball in 1/2 cup sugar designated for rolling.
- Shape & Bake: Place sugar-coated balls on prepared sheets, slightly flatten each, bake 6 cookies at a time for 9-10 minutes.
- Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Assemble Cookies: Fill a piping bag fitted with a small round tip with chilled pastry cream and pipe a generous amount onto each cookie once cooled.
- Brûlée Sugar Topping: Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of additional granulated sugar on top of the pastry cream and use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until golden brown and aromatic.
- Final Cooling: Allow the brûléed cookies to cool for 10 minutes to let the topping harden before serving. Consume shortly after assembling to prevent sogginess.
Notes
- Add pastry cream to cookies only right before serving to keep cookie texture crisp and prevent sogginess.
- Use a kitchen torch carefully to caramelize the sugar without burning it.
- You can prepare the pastry cream and cookie dough ahead of time; store pastry cream chilled and dough refrigerated until ready to bake.
- Spoon and level flour for accuracy to ensure proper cookie texture.
- Be patient when whisking pastry cream to avoid lumps and achieve smooth custard.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
