Description
These Creme Brûlée Cookies combine chewy, buttery sugar cookies with a rich and creamy vanilla pastry cream, topped with caramelized sugar for a delightful twist on the classic dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 2 1/4 cups whole milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated white sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut in cubes
Sugar Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar (for rolling the dough in)
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar (for the brûlée topping)
Instructions
- Heat the Milk: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low heat until steaming. Then lower the heat to low and keep warm until needed.
- Mix Egg Yolk Base: In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste, and cornstarch until pale yellow and smooth.
- Temper the Egg Mixture: Add 1/4 of the warm milk into the egg mixture while stirring vigorously, then add the remaining milk and mix thoroughly.
- Cook Pastry Cream: Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 8-12 minutes, whisking continuously until thickened and soft peaks form.
- Add Butter and Chill: Remove from heat, stir in the cubed butter until combined, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface, and chill in the refrigerator until completely cold.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using an electric mixer on high speed, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Mix in the egg and vanilla bean paste on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Slowly add the flour mixture, mixing on low speed just until the dough comes together.
- Form and Sugar Coat Cookies: Scoop dough using a large cookie scoop, roll into balls, then roll each ball in 1/2 cup granulated sugar.
- Shape and Bake: Place sugar-coated balls on prepared sheets, flatten slightly, and bake 9-10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Pipe and Brûlée: Once cookies are cooled, pipe chilled pastry cream onto each cookie. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon sugar on top and caramelize with a kitchen torch until golden brown and fragrant.
- Cool and Serve: Let cookies cool for 10 minutes after torching, then serve immediately for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- The pastry cream should be chilled completely before piping to achieve the best consistency.
- Use a kitchen torch carefully to avoid burning the sugar; a low flame and steady motion work best.
- Only add pastry cream to cookies just before serving to prevent sogginess.
- If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, substitute with high-quality vanilla extract in the same quantity.
- You can prepare the pastry cream a day ahead and store it covered in the fridge.
- Roll dough balls generously in sugar for a crunchy exterior after baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 200 kcal
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
