¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar (for brûlée topping)
Directions
Start by making the vanilla pastry cream:
In a saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low until just steaming, then reduce the heat to low to keep warm.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cornstarch until smooth and pale yellow.
Slowly pour in about ¼ of the hot milk while whisking constantly to temper the eggs, then whisk in the rest.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, for 8–12 minutes until thickened and soft peaks form.
Remove from heat, stir in the butter until melted and smooth, then transfer to a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until fully chilled.
While the cream chills, make the cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
Add in the egg and vanilla, and beat until smooth and pale. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients on low speed until a soft dough forms.
Scoop the dough into balls, roll in the ¼ cup of sugar, and place on the baking sheet.
Slightly flatten each cookie and bake for 9–10 minutes.
Let cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Once cookies are cooled and the pastry cream is fully chilled, transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
Pipe a swirl onto each cookie. Sprinkle about 1 tsp of sugar on top of each and brûlée with a kitchen torch until golden and caramelized.
Let sit for 10 minutes to set.
Note: Only add pastry cream right before serving — the cookies get soggy if they sit too long.
