Description
Crackly sugar top, buttery soft center — these Crème Brûlée Cookies give you that classic brûlée moment in a handheld bite. Crisp, caramelized crowns yield to a rich, velvety interior scented with vanilla and warm spices. Fancy but totally doable.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy (whipping) cream
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with the granulated sugar until the mixture becomes pale and a little fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until smooth and glossy.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Add the dry mix to the butter mixture and fold just until a soft dough forms. Don’t overwork it.
- Roll the dough into small balls (about 1 inch / 2.5 cm), space them roughly 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet, and gently press each into a thick disk with the back of a spoon or your fingers.
- Bake 10–12 minutes — edges should pick up a light golden hue while centers remain slightly set. Let the cookies rest on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, make the brûlée topping: warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to steam (don’t boil). In a bowl, combine the brown sugar and cornstarch; whisk this into the warm cream and cook over low-medium heat for 2–3 minutes until it thickens slightly. Remove from heat and let cool until just warm.
- Spoon a small dollop of the cream mixture onto the center of each cooled cookie. Sprinkle a little extra granulated or turbinado sugar over the cream if you like extra crackle.
- Caramelize the sugar with a kitchen torch until the top turns a deep amber and cracks when tapped. No torch? Place cookies briefly under the oven broiler on the top rack and watch closely — the sugar will go from perfect to burned in seconds.
- Allow the caramel to cool and harden for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
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Use room-temperature butter for the smoothest creaming — it helps trap air and gives a tender crumb.
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Avoid overmixing once the flour goes in; mixing too much makes cookies tough.
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If you don’t own a torch, preheat the broiler and caramelize one test cookie first to judge timing.
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Chill dough 15–30 minutes if it spreads too much during baking.
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Let the caramel set fully before stacking or packing to keep the tops from sticking.