Description
Creme Brûlée Cookies are a delightful treat combining chewy, buttery sugar cookies with rich, creamy vanilla pastry cream and a caramelized sugar topping, evoking the classic dessert in cookie form.
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 brulee topping)
Instructions
- Heat Milk: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low heat until steaming, then reduce heat to low to keep warm.
- Mix Egg Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste, and cornstarch until combined and pale yellow, initially thick but smooth as whisked.
- Temper Eggs: Add a quarter of the warm milk to egg mixture while stirring vigorously, then add remaining milk and stir to combine.
- Cook Pastry Cream: Transfer mixture back to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 8-12 minutes, whisking continuously until thick and soft peaks form.
- Add Butter and Chill: Remove from heat, stir in butter cubes until combined, cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin, then chill until completely cold.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Sheets: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using an electric or stand mixer, cream butter and 1 1/4 cup sugar on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Mix in egg and vanilla bean paste on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually add dry ingredients on low speed until dough just comes together.
- Shape Dough: Scoop dough into balls using a large cookie scoop, roll each in 1/2 cup sugar, and place on parchment-lined sheets; slightly flatten each ball.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 9-10 minutes, cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
- Assemble Cookies: Fill a piping bag with chilled pastry cream; pipe cream on cooled cookies.
- Brûlée Sugar Topping: Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon sugar on each cookie’s cream, then caramelize sugar with a kitchen torch until golden brown and smelling toasted.
- Cool and Serve: Let cookies cool 10 minutes after torching, and serve immediately since cookies can become soggy if left assembled too long.
Notes
- Use whole milk for the best creamy texture in pastry cream.
- Vanilla bean paste adds intense vanilla flavor, but vanilla extract can be substituted.
- To avoid soggy cookies, add the pastry cream and brûlée sugar topping shortly before serving.
- Use a kitchen torch carefully to caramelize sugar evenly without burning.
- Cookies can be baked in batches if your sheet cannot hold six at a time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
