Description
Soft, buttery Creme Brûlée Cookies topped with rich vanilla pastry cream and a crisp caramelized sugar shell. These bakery-style cookies combine chewy sugar cookies with the creamy texture and crackly topping of classic crème brûlée.
Ingredients
Scale
- Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) whole milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 g) granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
- 3 1/2 tablespoons (28 g) cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, cubed
- Sugar Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, for rolling
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, for the brûlée topping
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling. Reduce the heat to low.
- Whisk the egg yolks, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, vanilla bean paste, and cornstarch in a large bowl until smooth and pale yellow.
- Slowly pour one-quarter of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking vigorously. Gradually whisk in the remaining milk.
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 12 minutes, whisking continuously, until thick and soft peaks form.
- Remove the pastry cream from the heat and stir in the cubed butter until smooth.
- Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly against the surface and refrigerate until completely cold.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl.
- Beat the softened butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla bean paste. Mix on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together.
- Scoop the dough into 24 balls. Roll each ball in the reserved sugar for rolling.
- Arrange six dough balls at a time on the prepared baking sheets and flatten each one slightly.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Transfer the chilled pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
- Pipe pastry cream onto each cooled cookie shortly before serving.
- Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the brûlée topping sugar over each cookie.
- Caramelize the sugar with a kitchen torch until golden brown and fragrant.
- Allow the caramelized topping to cool and harden for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Prepare the pastry cream first so it has enough time to chill completely.
- Whisk the pastry cream continuously while cooking to prevent scorching and lumps.
- Do not overbake the cookies. Their centers should remain soft when removed from the oven.
- Move the kitchen torch continuously so the sugar caramelizes evenly without burning.
- Store plain cookies and pastry cream separately for up to 3 days.
- Assemble the cookies shortly before serving because the pastry cream will soften the cookies after several hours.
- A kitchen torch produces better results than a broiler because it caramelizes the sugar without warming the pastry cream too much.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 270
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 95
- Fat: 11
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Unsaturated Fat: 4
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 39
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 85