Classic Crème Brûlée enhanced with the brown sugary richness of cookie butter!
Crème Brûlée.
The name alone sounds so fancy and sophisticated, doesn’t it? With its luxuriously smooth vanilla custard and crunchy sugary shell, there’s just something so magical about Crème Brûlée.
And while there’s definitely nothing wrong with the classic, it never hurts to experiment with other flavors every once in a while. Especially when it involves cookie butter…
In case you weren’t already obsessed with how unbelievably heavenly Crème Brûlée is, this Cookie Butter Crème Brûlée is going to blow your flippin’ socks off!
Honestly, I consider it Crème Brûlée on steroids. The creamy custard is enhanced by the cookie butter’s brown sugary sweetness and hint of spice. And surprisingly, it’s not overpoweringly sweet with the addition of the cookie butter.
Although this rather elegant dessert might look intimidating to make, it’s actually very simple. Not only does this recipe skip a couple of the more tedious steps that most Crème Brûlée recipes require, but the ingredient list is quite short for something so heavenly.
To make the custard, egg yolks, sugar (white and brown), and cookie butter are whisked together until smooth. Since the mixture is pretty thick at this point, it’s important to slowly and gradually whisk in the cream. Now, if you’ve made Crème Brûlée before, you might notice that we didn’t heat/scald the cream before incorporating it into the custard. Well according to Cook’s Illustrated, that step tends to result in overcooked custard, and apparently, it’s not even necessary! This was actually my first time skipping the scalding/tempering technique, and I could not believe how perfectly soft and creamy the custard turned out.
It’s important to note that since there is no scalding of the cream, the custard will require a longer baking time just because the temperature of the mixture is cooler than your standard scalded cream Crème Brûlée. Nonetheless, the baking time is totally worth it if you can eliminate the risk of scorching and potentially ruining your precious custard.
Although we were able to eliminate the scalding/tempering step, the water bath is a must when it comes to Crème Brûlées. The water bath is absolutely crucial for providing that moist, even heat, which prevents your custard from becoming rubbery or curdled.
As I mentioned earlier, the custards do take a little longer to bake. I used 5-ounce ramekins, and mine took about 60 minutes in the oven. The custards are done when the centers are just barely set and no longer sloshy.
After your custards have completely cooled, it’s time for the REAL fun to happen! It’s TORCH TIME, baby! (I swear I’m not a pyromaniac.)
Just sprinkle on a beautiful blanket of sugar, and torch that sucker good! I know it’s probably not a good idea to encourage playing with fire, but honestly, this is the main reason why I love making Crème Brûlée. Moreover, the crunchy caramelized sugar crust is what MAKES Crème Brûlée. Without it, it would just be a sad and boring old pudding.
This Cookie Butter Crème Brûlée is unbelievably divine. With its creamy, velvety, silky smooth cookie butter custard and its crisp caramelized sugar ceiling, you’ll be doing the happy dance with each and every blissful bite…
Cookie Butter Crème Brûlée
Ingredients
- 5 egg yolks
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup creamy cookie butter
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 6-7 teaspoons granulated sugar, for caramelizing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Lay a kitchen towel along the bottom of a large baking pan or roasting pan. Place six 4-5 ounce ramekins on top of the towel; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugars, and cookie butter together until smooth and combined. Gradually whisk in the cream until mixture is smooth and incorporated. Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve to get out any lumps that might have formed.
- Divide custard evenly among the 6 ramekins, then set the pan on the oven rack. Carefully pour enough hot water into the pan to come about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until centers of custards are just set, about 45-60 minutes.
- Transfer ramekins to a wire rack and allow to cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Place ramekins on a baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Just before serving, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar evenly over each custard. Use a small kitchen torch to caramelize the tops. Enjoy!