Every southerner’s New Years day is filled with collard greens and black-eyed peas, a delicious superstition that may never die. Collards represent wealth and black-eyed peas luck. Even though I hated this tradition as a child, my grandmother made me eat a plate full of them every year. Like most of us below the Mason Dixon, I should be a millionaire by now.

For this New Years Day, I suggest we adhere to the typical new year go-to meal, but after you have your hoppin’ johns, try a new dessert that is hard to pass over (even on a full stomach). I am suggesting the Creme Brûlée Cookies that were featured in the most recent Bake From Scratch Magazine, which coincidentally happens to be my all time favorite magazine. But if you are hesitant to boot your family’s deep-rooted New Year’s Day dessert tradition, this recipe is great to tack on to any old ritual.

These cookies are little pieces of art that will liven any New Year party or meal. The base is a thin, short cookie that holds a luscious little round of creamy vanilla custard.

Below you will find my take on the recipe…

Creme Brûlée Cookies

Cookie Dough Ingredients:

• 3 egg yolks (50 grams)

• ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) vanilla extract

• 1 ¼ cup (155 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling and baking

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (70 grams) powdered sugar

• ½ cup plus 2 teaspoons (120 grams) unsalted butter, cold

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and vanilla and set aside. Sift the flour, salt and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and combine on low speed. Cut the butter into 1-centimeter (0.5-inch) cubes and add it to the flour mixture. Continue to mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand, about 5 minutes. Do not overmix. If the mixture starts to stick together, it will not absorb the eggs and it will be very sticky and hard to roll. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix just until incorporated and you have a homogenous dough, about 30 seconds. Form the dough into a flattened circle and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour, minimum. Note: It did not take 5 minutes to incorporate the butter. I suggest watching the mixer until the mixture turns sandy.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a half sheet pan with a silicone baking mat. Parchment paper works just as well.

3. Roll out the pâte sucrée 0.5 centimeters (0.2 inches) thick. After rolling out the dough, I placed it in the freezer for a few minutes to make cutting easier. Using a 4.5-centimeter (1.75-inch) pastry cutter, cut 30 circles from the dough and place them on the half sheet. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes to prevent spreading. Bake the circles just until the edges are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Be sure to cook the cookies until golden, undercooked cookies will turn soggy after adding the creme brûlée.

Creme Ingredients:

• 5 egg yolks (85 grams)

• ⅓ cup (60 sugar) plus more for sprinkling

• 1 ½ cups (350 grams) heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon (10 grams) Grand Marnier

• ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Place 2 (4-centimeter [1.5-inch]) silicone demisphere molds with 15 cavities per mold on a half sheet pan.

2. In a small bowl, combine all the crème brûlée ingredients and blend them with an immersion blender. A regular mixer works just as well. Fill the molds with the crème brûlée. Pass the flame of a propane torch over the surface of the cavities to pop any bubbles. Place the half sheet pan in the oven, but before closing the door, pour 1 centimeter (0.5 inch) of warm tap water into the pan around the molds. Close the oven door and bake until the crème brûlée is set, about 25 to 30 minutes. When you lightly shake the pan, the crème brûlée should not move in the center. Allow to cool to room temperature, pour the water out of the pan and then place it in the freezer. Freeze for at least 6 hours. Make sure they are frozen before removing or you will lose the shape of the domes.

To assemble, Unmold the frozen crème brûlée and place a dome on each of the tart dough bases. Sprinkle a tiny amount of sugar on top of the crème brûlée. Caramelize the sugar with a propane torch, using the lowest setting. Decorate with gold leaf ( I used copper). Allow to thaw completely before serving, about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Find the original recipe here