Description
Creme Brûlée Cookies combine buttery vanilla sugar cookies with rich, creamy vanilla pastry cream and a crisp caramelized sugar topping. Inspired by the classic French dessert, these cookies offer a delicious contrast of tender cookie, smooth custard, and crackly brûlée sugar.
Ingredients
Scale
For the 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
For the 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 in)
For the Brûlée Topping
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar (for the brulee topping)
Instructions
- Prepare the pastry cream: Whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a heatproof bowl until smooth.
- Heat the whole milk in a saucepan until hot but not vigorously boiling. Gradually whisk some of the hot milk into the egg mixture.
- Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until the custard thickens to a smooth, pudding-like consistency.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla bean paste and cubed unsalted butter until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly against its surface and refrigerate until completely chilled and firm.
- Prepare the cookie dough: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla bean paste, mixing until combined.
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until a cohesive dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
- Shape the cookies: Scoop the dough into evenly sized portions and roll each portion into a ball. Coat the dough balls in the designated granulated sugar.
- Arrange the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between them.
- Bake: Bake according to the original recipe’s specified temperature and timing, until the edges are set and the centers are baked through. Let the cookies rest briefly on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Fill the cookies: Stir the chilled pastry cream gently until smooth. Transfer it to a piping bag or use a spoon to portion the filling onto the cookie surfaces, following the intended cookie assembly.
- Caramelize the topping: Sprinkle a thin, even layer of the reserved granulated sugar over the exposed pastry cream or the designated topping surface. Use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar until golden amber.
- Let the caramelized sugar cool briefly until crisp. Serve soon after torching for the best texture.
Notes
- Prepare the pastry cream ahead and chill it completely before assembling the cookies.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before filling to help preserve their texture.
- Caramelize the sugar shortly before serving because moisture from the pastry cream can soften the crunchy topping.
- The supplied recipe does not specify baking temperature, baking time, cookie yield, or exact assembly shape. Confirm these details from the original recipe before publishing.
- Prep Time: Estimated 45 minutes, excluding chilling
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Recipes
- Method: Stovetop, Baking, Kitchen Torch
- Cuisine: French-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 390 kcal
- Sugar: 34 g
- Sodium: 130 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
Keywords: Creme Brûlée Cookies, Creme Brulee Sugar Cookies, Vanilla Custard Cookies, Caramelized Sugar Cookies, Pastry Cream Cookies