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Crème Brûlée Cookies Recipe

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4.1 from 72 reviews

These Crème Brûlée Cookies combine soft, buttery vanilla cookies with a rich homemade pastry cream topped with a caramelized brûlée sugar layer. Inspired by the classic French dessert, this recipe features a delicate balance of smooth custard and crispy burnt sugar atop tender cookies, perfect for an elegant treat or special occasion dessert.

Ingredients

Vanilla Cookies

  • 225 g (1 cup) Unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 250 g (1¼ cups) Granulated sugar
  • 1 Egg at room temperature
  • 1 Egg yolk at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 310 g (1½ cups) All-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon Salt

Pastry Cream

  • 500 g (2 cups) Whole milk (3% fat)
  • 100 g (½ cup) Granulated sugar
  • 80 g Egg yolks (approx. yolk of 4-5 eggs)
  • 25 g (⅕ cup) Corn starch
  • 25 g (⅕ cup) All-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 50 g (¼ cup) Unsalted butter (82% fat), room temperature soft butter

Brûlée Topping

  • 50 g (¼ cup) Demerara sugar (granulated sugar can be used as a substitute)

Instructions

  1. Make the vanilla cookies: With an electric hand mixer, cream the room temperature butter with sugar for a few minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla just until combined. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda, then fold this dry mixture into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula.
  2. Prepare 2-3 baking pans lined with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 12 equal balls (using a digital scale or ice cream scooper) and place them spaced apart on the parchment. Chill the cookie dough for 1 hour.
  3. Preheat the oven to 175°C (347°F, no fan). Bake the cookies for 15 minutes after chilling. Let them rest for a few minutes, then carefully remove from parchment and transfer to a cooling rack to set and cool completely.
  4. Make the pastry cream: In a large bowl, whisk sugar and egg yolks together with a hand whisk until slightly fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in corn starch, flour, and vanilla until forming a smooth paste.
  5. Bring milk to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat and remove as soon as it starts simmering; avoid a vigorous boil. Slowly pour warm milk into the egg mixture while whisking vigorously to temper the eggs. The mixture should begin to thicken.
  6. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook on medium heat for approximately 1 minute after the first boil, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. If lumps form, strain the cream to achieve a smooth texture.
  7. Add the softened butter in three stages, mixing well after each addition with a rubber spatula, until fully incorporated. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to avoid skin formation and refrigerate until completely cooled.
  8. Assemble: Once cookies are cooled and pastry cream is at room temperature, spread pastry cream evenly on the cookies. Sprinkle a thick layer of demerara sugar on top, then caramelize the sugar quickly using a blow torch to create the brûlée topping.
  9. Serve immediately for best texture. Leftover cookies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Before serving leftovers, sprinkle sugar and re-caramelize with the blow torch.

Notes

  • Measure ingredients by weight for accuracy, especially flour and sugar.
  • Only caramelize the brûlée topping right before serving to prevent melting and sogginess.
  • Using a high-quality small to medium saucepan helps prevent burning the pastry cream during cooking.
  • If lumps form in the pastry cream, straining ensures a silky smooth texture.
  • Chilling the cookie dough before baking helps control spreading for the perfect cookie shape.
  • Room temperature ingredients ensure better mixing and texture.
  • If a blow torch is not available, a broiler can be used carefully to caramelize the sugar, but watch closely to avoid burning.

Find it online: https://justsosavory.com/creme-brulee-cookies-recipe/