Ingredients

For The Vanilla Pastry Cream

• 2 ¼ cups / 540 ml whole milk

• 6 egg yolks

• 1 cup + 2 tbsp / 225 g granulated white sugar

• ⅛ tsp salt

• 1 ½ tbsp vanilla bean paste

• 3 ½ tbsp / 28 g cornstarch

• 3 tbsp / 42 g unsalted butter, cubed

For The Sugar Cookies

• 2 ½ cups / 313 g all-purpose flour

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 ¼ cups / 250 g granulated white sugar

• 1 cup / 224 g unsalted butter, softened

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

• ½ cup / 100 g granulated sugar (for rolling)

• ½ cup / 100 g granulated sugar (for brulee topping)

Additional Notes

• Stability: I’m not entirely sure if the vanilla pastry cream needs to be cooked and whisked longer to make it more stable. The current version isn't a very sturdy cream, so it doesn't hold up well to the torch and melts quite easily.

• Consistency: I might need to go back to the drawing board on this because it's such a loose cream. When you make crème brûlée as a standalone dish, it sets very well, allowing the sugar to be caramelized on top without the custard melting.

• The Crust: Because of the cream's consistency, it’s difficult to achieve the desired crust since the sugar tends to sink into the cream. I'm not sure if using more sugar would fix this or if it's just the nature of the cookie.

• Application: Spreading the cream with a knife was too messy and difficult to work with. Piping the cream was much easier, offered more control, and kept the crème brûlée centered on the cookie instead of falling down the sides.

• Flavor: These were extremely tasty; the execution just needs work, and we’ll figure it out.

Method

1. Heat Milk: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low until steaming. Turn heat to low to keep it warm.

2. Whisk Base: In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cornstarch until the mixture is smooth and pale yellow.

3. Temper & Thicken: Vigorously whisk ¼ of the hot milk into the egg mixture. Once combined, stir in the rest of the milk and return the entire mixture to the saucepan.

4. Cook Cream: Cook over medium-low heat for 8–12 minutes, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick and soft peaks form.

5. Chill: Remove from heat and stir in the cubed butter. Transfer to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the fridge until completely cold.

6. Prep Oven: Preheat your oven to 175°C / 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

7. Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

8. Cream Butter: In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on high until fluffy (about 2 minutes).

9. Combine: Mix in the egg and vanilla on medium speed until pale. Slowly add the dry ingredients on low speed just until the dough pulls together.

10. Roll & Bake: Scoop and weigh the dough into 55 g balls. Roll them in the ½ cup of sugar, place on the sheets, and slightly flatten. Bake for 9–10 minutes.

11. Cool: Let the cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

12. Assemble: Pipe the chilled pastry cream onto the cooled cookies.

13. Brulee: Sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar over the cream on each cookie. Use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar until golden brown and bubbly.

14. Finish: Let the sugar set for 10 minutes before serving.