Ingredients
Lemon Pastry Cream
- 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) whole milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (225 g) granulated white sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 3 1/2 tbsp (28 g) cornstarch
- 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, cut in cubes
Lemon Sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar
- 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
Lemon Sugar Cookies
- 2 3/4 cups (344 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
Brûlée Topping
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar
Instructions
- Heat the Milk: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low heat just until it’s steaming. Then, turn heat down to low and keep warm.
- Prepare Egg Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon zest, salt, vanilla bean paste, and cornstarch until combined and pale yellow in color.
- Temper Eggs: Gradually add 1/4 of the warm milk to the egg mixture while whisking vigorously to prevent curdling, then whisk in the remaining milk.
- Cook Pastry Cream: Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly for 8-12 minutes until the mixture thickens and soft peaks form.
- Add Butter and Chill: Remove from heat, stir in the butter cubes until smooth, cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation, and refrigerate until fully chilled.
- Make Lemon Sugar: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest; set aside.
- Preheat Oven and Prep Baking Sheets: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Use an electric or stand mixer to cream the butter and 1 cup granulated sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add egg, vanilla bean paste, and lemon zest to the creamed butter mixture and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Combine Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until the dough pulls together.
- Form and Coat Cookies: Using a large cookie scoop, form dough into balls, then roll each ball in the prepared lemon sugar mixture until coated.
- Shape and Bake: Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets and gently flatten each slightly. Bake 6 cookies at a time for 9-10 minutes until edges are set.
- Cool Cookies: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally, use a cookie cutter to refine the shape while still warm.
- Pipe Pastry Cream: Fill a piping bag fitted with a small circular tip with chilled lemon pastry cream and pipe a generous amount onto the top of each cooled cookie.
- Brûlée Topping: Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar on top of each piped pastry cream and use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until golden brown and fragrant.
- Final Cooling and Serving: Let the brûlée sugar cool and harden for 10 minutes before serving. Add pastry cream only when ready to serve to avoid soggy cookies.
Notes
- Make sure the pastry cream is completely chilled before piping to help it set properly on the cookies.
- Only brûlée the sugar topping immediately before serving to maintain the crisp caramel crust.
- Use fresh lemon zest for the best bright citrus flavor.
- Cookies can be stored separately from the pastry cream and assembled just before serving to avoid sogginess.
- If you don't have a kitchen torch, you can place cookies under a hot broiler for a very short time but watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking, Stovetop cooking, Brûlée
- Cuisine: French-inspired American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
