Peach Crème Brulée Cookie
A brown butter and toasted almond cookie make a delicious base for our Texas peach pastry cream, topped with thinly sliced fresh peaches and sugar then torched until golden, crackle-top perfection. This is the cookie recipe that will be kicking off peach season. So, grab some friends and a chilled bottle of Rosé because this decadent cookie is fit for a summer party.
I have wanted to make a crème brulée inspired cookie for so long here at Sunshine Texas Cookies and the start of peach season in Texas felt like the right time to do it. I wanted to give a cookie spin to a classic French dessert while also playing with a nostalgic combo of peaches and cream. I would dare not say this cookie can beat a classic, but it definitely is in a league of its own. I wanted to create layers of flavor but also keep them simple to highlight the star of the show: Texas peaches.
Building Flavors
I started with making a Peach Pastry Cream , a soft, silky and luxurious custard that had the concentrated flavors of added homemade peach preserves. I wanted a base that could accentuate the delicate peach flavor without overpowering it. Peaches and almonds work well together so I toasted almonds and ground them to a powder in the food processor to add to the cookie dough. Browned Butter has a subtle nutty and toffee like flavor that would also add to the peach experience. Last, but not least, fresh peaches tie this cookie together in a symphony of pleasant textures and flavors.
-Sturdy almond cookie with a warm nutty flavor. The ground almonds also give a chewier texture.
-Creamy and silky pastry cream infused with peach flavor and vanilla bean.
-Fresh juicy peaches sliced thin and placed on top of pastry cream.
-Crunchy coating of caramelized sugar on top of the peaches.
How to approach this recipe
This cookie may look like a complicated task to tackle in the kitchen, and it can be, but it doesn’t have to be! Let’s break down the steps together.
- Brown Butter several days or even weeks in advance. My Browned Butter recipe takes 10 minutes to make and only has one ingredient, butter.
- Prepare Peach Pastry Cream up to 3 days in advance. Keep covered in the fridge.
- Cookie dough can be baked the day before and stored in a covered container until ready to assemble the layers. The dough can also be prepared, portioned, and kept in a bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake straight from the freezer and increase the baking time by 3-4 minutes.
You of course can accomplish all of these steps in one day as well, but I find it easier to tackle a few tasks each day to make it easier.
What You Need for the Cookie Base:
Sugar and brown sugar
Eggs
Almond Extract
Flour
Baking Soda and Baking Powder
Salt
Let’s Cookie
I used refrigerated brown butter and creamed it together with both types of sugar. I added in the eggs one at a time and continued mixing, along with the almond extract.
In a shallow pan I toasted sliced almonds until they were light brown and fragrant. I let them cool slightly before pulsing them into a course powder in the food processor.
I continued with my cookie dough by adding dry ingredients and ground almonds and mixed until just combined.
Using a 3 oz cookie scoop, I portioned out the dough into 16 pieces.
You can bake these right after you scoop them but I recommend letting the dough rest in the fridge for at least an hour before baking to prevent spreading out.
Bake the cookies on a parchment lined baking tray at 375*F for 12-14 minutes. You want them to be slightly brown on the edges.
Tap the tops down with either the back of a spoon or your fingers while they are warm if you see the tops still domed. You want it slightly flat on the top to allow space for the pastry cream to sit.
Allow cookies to cool completely before assembling the layers.
Feeling Torchy
Even if you don’t have a kitchen torch, a broiler can caramelize sugar on top of your cookie. The kitchen torch is incredibly fun and adds to the excitement of the crème brulée cookie if you are making these with friends. I’m not saying you have to get one, but it would be a lot cooler if you did.
I like to have all of the topping ingredients ready at hand, so I am not shuffling around the kitchen. I placed sugar, cold peach pastry cream, and thinly sliced peaches in bowls for easy reaching. Kitchen torch was within reach as well and the cooled cookies on a clean sheet of parchment. Ready to go.
Take a teaspoon of cold peach pastry cream and dollop in the center of the cookie. Spread out evenly on top of the cookie making sure not to let it run over the edge. The pastry cream will get warm during the torching process, and you want to make sure it doesn’t get runny and slide off of the cookie. This is also why it is important to use cold pastry cream.
Layer sliced peaches on top of the pastry cream. I used 3-4 thin slices on top. Fresh peaches are best for the topping, frozen peaches have too much moisture and will get soggy. I skipped the fresh peach topping on one of the cookies and just had the pastry cream on top with the fresh peach slices on the side. It was fun to caramelize the sugar on top of the peach pastry cream, it looked like a classic crème brulée.
Use caution when using a kitchen torch in your home. Read instructions carefully and operate safely. Sprinkle a half teaspoon of sugar on top of the peaches and caramelize the sugar with your kitchen torch. Be sure to constantly move it around so the sugar doesn’t burn. You will see the sugar bubble up and turn a beautiful golden brown.
*A note about sugars. I played with using both granulated sugar and turbinado sugar on top of the cookies. The turbinado sugar gave a wonderful burnt sugar flavor that worked well with the sweetness of the peaches. It also had a thicker caramel crunch. The granulated sugar was more delicate and thinner and took a lot more time to get a darker color. You can caramelize two layers of sugar if you want more of a crunch with the granulated sugar.
If using a broiler, turn broiler on high and place sugar coated cookies underneath for 15-30 seconds. Do not leave them unattended. They will caramelize quickly so keep an eye on them. I did find the pastry cream warmed up more underneath the broiler so special attention is needed when placing pastry cream on the cookie, keep it in the center as much as possible.
Out of all the cookies I have made in my life this Peach crème brulée cookie has become my favorite. It is decadent and delicate and makes me want to create more delicious, beautiful things. I hope you enjoy them as much as I loved making them.
Please follow and tag me @sunshinetxcookies on Instagram and Facebook. I post new cookie recipes every Thursday and would love to share my joy with you. Happy Baking!
Peach Crème Brulée Cookie
Ingredients
- 2 sticks browned butter https://sunshinetxcookies.com/?p=1053
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tspn almond extract
- 1 tspn baking soda
- 1 tspn baking powder
- 1 tspn cornstarch
- ½ tspn salt
- 1 cup toasted ground almonds
- 2⅔ cup flour
Cookie Toppings
- 2-3 peaches thinly sliced
- 1 cup peach pastry cream https://sunshinetxcookies.com/?p=1215
- ½ cup granulated sugar can also use turbinado sugar for more flavor.
Instructions
- Place cold browned butter in a bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment. Add both sugars and cream on medium high for 3 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time and mix together. Scrape the bowl to incorporate all of the butter and sugar.
- Add almond extract and salt, mix.
- Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and cornstarch and add into the butter sugar mixture on low speed. Mix until just starting to come together.
- Add in ground, toasted almonds and continue to mix until the dough is thoroughly mixed.
- Using a 3oz. scoop portion out 16 scoops of dough onto a baking tray.
- Refrigerate at least an hour before baking.
- Bake at 375*F for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- If you notice your cookies are still domed after taking out of the oven, press the tops down level with the back of a spoon or your fingers while still warm. This will help make a space for the peach pastry cream.
- Cool completely before assembling the toppings.
Peach Creme Brulee topping
- On top of cooled cookie spoon one teaspoon of peach pastry cream and spread evenly. Make sure not to take it too close to the edges of the cookie.
- Place 3-4 slices of peaches on top of the pastry cream.
- Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar on top of the peaches.
- Using kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar on top of the peaches until bubbly and golden brown.
- You can also use the broiler set on HIGH to caramelize the sugar. Place sugared cookies on baking tray under broiler for 15-30 seconds being careful to rotate them while cooking to avoid burning.
- Grab some good friends and enjoy!
