Directions

• Vietnamese Coffee
• Add water, milk, and ground Vietnamese coffee in a pot over medium-low heat on the stove. For anyone familiar with Vietnamese coffee, I know milk is not a traditional part of making egg coffee, but the fat content in milk contributes to richer flavor and a softer cookie.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, and let boil for 2-3 minutes before removing from the heat.
• Let the coffee cool for a few minutes, then pour through a mesh strainer to remove the coffee grounds. You’ll have about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of coffee. You will only use 1/4 cup in the dough, so feel free to measure out 1/4 cup and drink the rest.
• Vietnamese Coffee Cookie Dough
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a regular bowl with a wooden spoon, cream together butter and sugar. After creaming, the butter should be light and fluffy, as well as slightly increased in volume.
• Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract or vanilla paste, and 1/4 cup Vietnamese coffee and stir until fully combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
• Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until a dough forms. The dough should be soft to the touch, but not sticky. If the dough is sticky, add flour one tablespoon at a time, stirring each in completely before adding another. If it feels too dry, add milk or water one tablespoon at a time.
• Egg Custard
• Place room temperature egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl and set aside.
• Combine the sugar and flour in a small saucepan. Whisk them a bit to ensure there are no lumps. This will help with the next step.
• Gradually whisk in the cream and milk so you have a smooth mixture. Place the pan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
• Take the pan off the heat. Slowly whisk about half of the hot custard into the egg yolks, whisking vigorously.
• Return the yolk mixture to the pan and blend well. Return the pan to the heat and cook just until the filling bubbles.
• Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and pour into a small bowl. Let cool while you bake the cookies.
• Assembly
• Read the important note of when to serve these cookies at the bottom of this recipe. If you decide not to bake the cookies right away, you can freeze the dough.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Roll the cookie dough into balls approximately one tablespoon in size. Flatten slightly and press an indent into the middle of each cookie with your thumb or the back of a teaspoon.
• Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for 9-11 minutes.
• Place the cookies on a cookie rack to cool completely.
• Scoop egg custard into the thumbprints. You can be generous and heap it a little, but I wouldn’t overfill it too much.
• Sprinkle the top of the custard with a layer of sugar. With a kitchen torch, brulee the sugar until it caramelizes and hardens.