Crème Brûlée Cookies
These Crème Brûlée Cookies combine a soft, chewy sugar cookie with the signature elements of the classic French dessert – a swirl of pastry cream with a crispy, caramelized sugar topping. The rich, vanilla pastry cream is the perfect compliment to the chewy, buttery sugar cookies. Each bite is filled with the delight of the crackling caramelized sugar surface.
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Crème Brûlée Cookies
- Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
Description
These Crème Brûlée Cookies combine a soft, chewy sugar cookie with the signature elements of the classic French dessert – a swirl of pastry cream with a crispy, caramelized sugar topping. The rich, vanilla pastry cream is the perfect compliment to the chewy, buttery sugar cookies. Each bite is filled with the delight of the crackling caramelized sugar surface.
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. Make the pastry cream. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch together. Set aside. In a medium sized saucepan, add milk, heavy cream, sugar and salt. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, and cook until sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat.
Slowly pour half the sugar/milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking the egg yolk mixture the entire time. This is to help prevent the eggs from scrambling.
Pour the egg yolk mixture through a sieve back into the saucepan, to strain out any yolk solids that may have formed.
Return saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until mixture thickens into a custard or puddling-like consistency.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer pastry cream into a heatproof bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming.
Allow to refrigerate for 3 hours (you can also allow to refrigerate overnight).
2. Make the cookies. Preheat oven to 375F.
In a large bowl with a handheld mixer, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter until light and creamy. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add in the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix just until combined.
3. Scoop cookie dough by 2 tablespoon measurements. Roll the cookies through granulated sugar, then place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 10-11 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire cooling rack to fully cool.
5. Place the pastry cream in a zip-top bag with one corner snipped off, or a pastry/piping bag. Pipe the pastry cream out onto the surface of the cookie in a circular design until the top of the cookie is covered in pastry cream. Repeat with remaining cookies.
6. Torch the sugar. Sprinkle a generous amount of sugar on top of the pastry cream. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar.
- Prep Time: 30
- Chill Time (for pastry cream): 3 hours
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven/Stove Top
- Cuisine: American, French
