BROWN BUTTER & SPICE COOKIES

PASTRY CREAM

1. Place milk and half of the sugar in a saucepan and turn on medium heat.
2. In a separate bowl, mix yolks, cornstarch, and the other half of the sugar.
3. Temper egg mixture with warm milk.
4. Whisk eggs with the milk, add vanilla extract, and salt. Continue whisking until the desired thickness is reached.
5. Remove from heat and add butter.
6. Cool with plastic wrap directly on the cream so that a film does not form.

COOKIES

1. Place butter in pan over medium heat, let it melt, leave for 5 – 8 minutes, or until milk solids on the bottoms of the pan toast. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar until it is light/pale in color and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add in eggs slowly, one at a time. Mix until fully incorporated.
3. Sift together all dry ingredients.
4. Add dry ingredients to the wet ones in the mixer and mix on a low speed until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl.
5. Wrap dough with plastic and place in the fridge for 1hr before rolling out.
6. Roll out dough to ¼ – 1/8” thickness and cut with desired cookie cutter – in this case, a gingerbread man.
7. Bake for 9 – 10 minutes at 350 F or until the edges start to turn brown.

ASSEMBLE

1. Once cookies are cooled, add the pastry cream on top of the cookie.
2. Use a pastry torch and lightly burn the top of the pastry cream for a slightly crunchy crème brûlée texture.
3. Decorate with any additional decorations of your choosing.