Lemon Crème Brûlée Cookies (Print Version)

Zesty lemon cookies topped with silky pastry cream and a perfectly caramelized sugar crust that cracks with each delicious bite.

# Ingredients:

→ Lemon Pastry Cream

01 - 540 ml whole milk
02 - 6 egg yolks
03 - 225 g granulated white sugar
04 - 1/8 tsp salt
05 - 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
06 - 2 tbsp lemon zest
07 - 28 g cornstarch
08 - 42 g unsalted butter, cut in cubes

→ Lemon Sugar

09 - 100 g granulated white sugar
10 - 1/2 tbsp lemon zest

→ Lemon Sugar Cookies

11 - 344 g all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
12 - 1/2 tsp baking powder
13 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
14 - 1/2 tsp salt
15 - 200 g granulated white sugar
16 - 224 g unsalted butter, softened
17 - 1 egg, at room temperature
18 - 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
19 - 2 1/2 tbsp lemon zest

→ Brûlée Topping

20 - 100 g granulated white sugar

# Instructions:

01 - Heat milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat just until steaming, then reduce heat to low.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, salt, vanilla, and cornstarch until smooth and pale yellow.
03 - Gradually add 1/4 of the heated milk to the egg mixture while whisking vigorously, then incorporate the remaining milk.
04 - Transfer mixture back to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 8-12 minutes, whisking continuously until thickened to soft peaks consistency.
05 - Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and stir in butter until combined. Cover with plastic wrap directly on surface and refrigerate until completely chilled.
06 - Combine sugar and lemon zest in a bowl, mixing well to infuse the flavors. Set aside.
07 - Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
08 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
09 - Using an electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and granulated sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
10 - Mix in the egg, vanilla, and lemon zest on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
11 - Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients on low speed just until the dough comes together.
12 - Scoop dough into balls using a large cookie scoop, roll in the prepared lemon sugar, then place on lined cookie sheets and slightly flatten each ball. Space cookies for even baking (6 per sheet).
13 - Bake for 9-10 minutes, then let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. For perfectly round cookies, use a circular cookie cutter to shape them immediately after removing from oven.
14 - Move cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
15 - Pipe chilled pastry cream onto cooled cookies using a piping bag fitted with a small circular tip.
16 - Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of sugar over each cream-topped cookie and caramelize with a kitchen torch until golden brown with a marshmallow-like aroma.
17 - Allow the caramelized topping to cool for 10 minutes before serving. For best texture, add pastry cream and brûlée topping just before serving as cookies will soften after a few hours.

# Notes:

01 - Add the pastry cream topping only when ready to serve, as the cookies will become soggy after a few hours.
02 - For perfectly round cookies, use a circular cookie cutter to shape them immediately after baking while still warm.

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