**For the Vanilla Pastry Cream:**

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan until steaming, then set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste, and cornstarch until smooth.
3. Slowly add a quarter of the heated milk to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously.
4. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and cook over medium-low heat until thickened.
5. Remove from heat, stir in the butter until melted, then chill the pastry cream until cold.

**For the Sugar Cookies:**

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and vanilla.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until combined.
5. Roll the dough into balls, coat them in sugar, then flatten slightly on the baking sheets.
6. Bake for 9-10 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

**Assembling the Cookies:**

1. Pipe the chilled pastry cream onto the cooled cookies.
2. Sprinkle sugar over each cookie, then use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until golden brown.
3. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before serving.
4. Get ready to enjoy these heavenly Crème Brûlée Cookies! Remember to add the pastry cream topping just before serving to keep them perfectly fresh and delicious.