Description
Delight in these creme brûlée cookies featuring chewy, buttery sugar cookies topped with rich and creamy vanilla pastry cream and a caramelized sugar crust. Perfectly balanced to satisfy your sweet tooth with a sophisticated twist on a 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
- Prepare the vanilla pastry cream: In a medium saucepan, heat 2 1/4 cups whole milk over medium-low heat until steaming, then reduce to low heat until ready to use.
- Mix egg yolks and dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 6 egg yolks, 1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste, and 3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch until pale yellow and smooth.
- Temper the egg mixture with milk: Slowly add about 1/4 of the warm milk to the egg mixture while stirring vigorously, then add the remaining milk and combine thoroughly.
- Cook the pastry cream: Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 8-12 minutes, whisking constantly until thickened and soft peaks form.
- Add butter and chill: Remove from heat, stir in 3 tbsp unsalted butter until melted and combined, then cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin. Refrigerate until completely cold.
- Preheat oven and prepare pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients for cookies: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In another large bowl, beat 1 cup unsalted butter (softened) and 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar on high speed for about two minutes until fluffy using an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment.
- Add egg and vanilla: Mix in 1 egg and 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients on low speed, mixing just until the dough comes together.
- Shape and sugar coat dough balls: Using a large cookie scoop, scoop dough balls, then roll each ball in 1/2 cup granulated sugar.
- Arrange and flatten cookies: Place dough balls onto prepared cookie sheets, slightly flattening each ball. Bake six cookies at a time for best results.
- Bake cookies: Bake for 9-10 minutes. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Assemble cookies: Once cooled, transfer the chilled pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip and pipe cream onto each cookie.
- Caramelize topping: Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar (from the 1/2 cup reserved for brûlée topping) on each cream-topped cookie. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until golden brown and fragrant.
- Final cooling and serving: Allow the caramelized sugar to cool and harden for 10 minutes, then serve immediately to avoid soggy cookies.
Notes
- For best texture, add pastry cream just before serving to prevent cookies from becoming soggy.
- If you don't have a kitchen torch, you can place cookies under a hot broiler for 1-2 minutes while watching carefully.
- Vanilla bean paste provides a richer vanilla flavor, but pure vanilla extract can be substituted.
- Ensure eggs used for pastry cream are fresh and preferably pasteurized for safety when consuming partially cooked custard.
- Cookies can be stored without pastry cream in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
