Creme Brûlée Cookies: Easy & Delicious Recipe
These Creme Brûlée Cookies combine the rich, creamy custard filling of traditional crème brûlée with a buttery, sugar-topped cookie base. Featuring a homemade pastry cream filling and a caramelized sugar crust, these cookies offer a deliciously indulgent dessert perfect for impressing guests or treating yourself.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: About 24 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French-inspired
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
- Whole Milk: 1 1/2 cups
- Large Eggs (yolks only): 2
- Granulated White Sugar: 1 cup (divided)
- Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
- Vanilla Bean Paste: 2 teaspoons
- Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons
- Unsalted Butter: 1 cup (for pastry cream and dough, divided)
Cookie Dough
- All-Purpose Flour: 2 1/2 cups
- Baking Powder: 1 teaspoon
- Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
- Unsalted Butter: included in the 1 cup listed above (for dough)
- Granulated White Sugar: included in the 1 cup listed above (for dough)
- Large Eggs: 2 (whole eggs for the dough)
- Vanilla Bean Paste: 2 teaspoons (for dough)
- Granulated Sugar (for rolling): as needed
Instructions
- Heat Milk: Warm the whole milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it is steaming but not boiling.
- Whisk Egg Mixture: In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, half of the sugar (about 1/2 cup), salt, vanilla bean paste, and cornstarch until smooth and pale in color.
- Temper Eggs: Gradually add a small amount of the hot milk to the egg mixture while whisking constantly, then slowly whisk in the remaining milk to prevent curdling.
- Cook Pastry Cream: Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the custard thickens to a pudding-like consistency. Remove from heat and stir in half of the unsalted butter (about 1/2 cup). Let it cool slightly, then refrigerate until chilled and set.
- Prepare Oven and Dry Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream together the remaining unsalted butter (1/2 cup) and sugar (remaining 1/2 cup) until fluffy and light in color.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the whole eggs and vanilla bean paste until combined.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just combined to form the cookie dough.
- Shape Cookies: Roll the dough into balls approximately 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. Roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat and then slightly flatten each ball with your hand or the bottom of a glass.
- Bake Cookies: Place the cookies on the parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 9 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before assembling.
- Pipe Pastry Cream: Spoon the chilled pastry cream into a piping bag and pipe a generous amount onto the flat side of each cookie.
- Caramelize Sugar Topping: Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over the pastry cream on each cookie. Using a kitchen torch, carefully caramelize the sugar until golden brown and crisp, similar to traditional crème brûlée topping.
Notes
- Make sure the milk is hot but not boiling to prevent scrambling the eggs in the pastry cream.
- Tempering the eggs with hot milk is key to achieving a smooth custard without lumps.
- Chill the pastry cream thoroughly before piping to ensure it sets well on the cookies.
- The kitchen torch step is essential for authentic crème brûlée texture and flavor; if unavailable, carefully use the broiler for a few seconds but watch closely to avoid burning.
- Cookies can be made ahead of time and assembled just before serving for best texture.
- Store assembled cookies refrigerated and consume within 2 days for optimal freshness.
Keywords: Creme Brulee Cookies, Custard Cookies, Pastry Cream Cookies, Caramelized Sugar Cookies, French Dessert Cookies
