Sophie’s Lemon Crème Brûlée Cookies
Indulge in Sophie’s Lemon Crème Brûlée Cookies, a unique dessert fusion featuring a soft lemon cookie base, creamy lemon pastry cream, and a perfectly torched, crackling sugar topping. Expertly crafted and tested over nine times, these cookies are a showstopper for any gathering.
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 305
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Cookies, Dessert
- Method: Baking, Torching
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups (540 ml) whole milk
6 egg yolks
1 cup + 2 tbsp (225 g) granulated white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
2 tbsp lemon zest
3 1/2 tbsp (28 g) cornstarch
3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, cut in cubes
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar (for the lemon sugar)
1/2 tbsp lemon zest (for the lemon sugar)
2 3/4 cups (344 g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar (for the cookies)
1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 egg, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar (for the brûlée topping)
Instructions
1. Make the pastry cream by heating the milk over medium-low heat just until it’s steaming.
2. In a medium bowl, add the egg yolks, 1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp lemon zest, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/2 tbsp vanilla, and cornstarch and whisk until combined and a pale-yellow color.
3. Add in about 1/4 of the heated milk while stirring vigorously. Then, add the rest in and stir to combine.
4. Transfer the custard mixture to the saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat and cook for 5-10 minutes, whisking continuously, until the mixture is thick and soft peaks form.
5. Remove the pastry cream from heat. Add in the butter and mix to combine.
6. Transfer it to a bowl and place plastic wrap right on top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill it in the fridge until completely cold (at least 4 hours).
7. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
8. In a large mixing bowl, cream 1 cup butter and 1 cup granulated sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy, about two minutes.
9. Add in the egg, 2 1/2 tbsp lemon zest, and 1 tsp vanilla and mix on medium speed until pale in color and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
10. Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the dough pulls together. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
11. Scoop the cookie dough with a large cookie scoop (approx. 2 tbsp), then roll into balls.
12. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 tbsp lemon zest to a small bowl and combine. Roll each cookie dough ball in the lemon sugar mixture.
13. Place the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and slightly flatten each ball. Bake 6 cookies at a time.
14. Bake the cookies then let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
15. Transfer the chilled pastry cream to a piping bag fit with a small circular tip.
16. Once the cookies are cooled, pipe pastry cream generously on top of each cookie.
17. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the remaining 1/2 cup sugar (for brûlée topping) over each and use a kitchen torch to brûlée the sugar until it is golden brown and smells like roasted marshmallows.
18. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes after torching, then enjoy.
Notes
For the best crackle, ensure your pastry cream is completely chilled and the cookies are cooled before assembly. Don’t skip pressing plastic wrap directly onto the pastry cream’s surface – it’s key to preventing a skin! If you don’t have a kitchen torch, a broiler can work in a pinch, but watch it like a hawk.