Description
Indulge in the delightful fusion of classic shortbread and the rich flavors of creme brûlée with these exquisite cookies. Perfect for sharing or enjoying as a special treat, they offer a buttery texture and a crisp caramelized topping that will impress everyone.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 tablespoons Heavy Cream
- 1 Egg Yolk
- Pinch of Salt
- Extra Granulated Sugar for Brûlée Topping (about 1 teaspoon per cookie)
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the softened unsalted butter and ¾ cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Beat in the egg yolk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until the mixture is well combined and smooth.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; stop as soon as no dry streaks of flour remain. The dough will be thick.
- Gently gather the dough into a ball. You can either roll it out to ¼-inch thickness between two sheets of parchment paper and cut out shapes (round or square work well), or press the dough evenly into an 8×8 or 9×9 inch square pan and score it into squares/rectangles. Transfer cutouts to your prepared baking sheet.
- Refrigerate the baking sheet with your shaped cookies (or the pan with the pressed dough) for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Bake the chilled cookies for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden and the centers still look pale.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cookies are fully cool, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar evenly over the top of each cookie. Using a kitchen torch, carefully caramelize the sugar until it turns a deep amber color and forms a crisp, glassy crust.
- For the best experience, serve these cookies shortly after caramelizing the sugar, while the brûlée topping is still crisp.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
Keywords: Do not overmix the dough to maintain the tender, crumbly texture. Chilling the dough is crucial for preventing spreading during baking. A kitchen torch is recommended for caramelizing the sugar for the best results.