Soft Baked Creme Brulee Cookies (Printer-friendly)

Soft French-inspired cookies with creamy vanilla filling and crisp caramelized sugar topping. Ready in 40 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Cookies

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large egg yolks
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 2 tablespoons sour cream

→ Filling

09 - 3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
10 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract

→ Caramelized Topping

12 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg yolks, vanilla extract, and sour cream until fully combined.
04 - Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
05 - Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla bean paste in a small bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy.
06 - Scoop about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and flatten into a disc. Place 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese filling in the center. Fold dough around filling and pinch to seal. Place seam side down on prepared sheet.
07 - Repeat with remaining dough and filling, spacing cookies at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 11–13 minutes until edges are set but centers are soft. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
08 - Sprinkle a thin, even layer of granulated sugar on top of each cooled cookie. Using a kitchen torch, carefully brûlée the sugar until golden and crisp. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is absolutely ridiculous, with a crispy burnt sugar shell that shatters beautifully when you bite down
  • These cookies look incredibly impressive but actually come together in under an hour
  • The cream cheese filling stays creamy even after baking, creating that perfect custard like center
02 -
  • Make sure your cookies are completely cool before torching or the sugar will melt into the cookie instead of creating a crust
  • The sugar layer for torching should be thin and even for the best crackling texture
  • If you don't have a kitchen torch, you can broil these for 1 to 2 minutes but watch them like a hawk
03 -
  • Vanilla bean paste is worth the extra cost for those gorgeous specks and concentrated flavor
  • A cookie scoop helps ensure all your cookies are the same size for even baking

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