Dreamy Crème Brûlée Streusel Bars
Ingredients
Streusel dough
- 375 g all-purpose flour
- 225 g granulated sugar
- 1 packet bourbon vanilla sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 200 g softened butter
Custard and brûlée topping
- 1-2 vanilla beans
- 750 g heavy cream
- 750 ml whole milk
- 9 large eggs
- 6 large egg yolks
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 250 g mascarpone cheese
- 400 g quark
- 50 ml vanilla liqueur
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 80-100 g coarse brown sugar
Preparation
Mix flour (reserving 2 tablespoons), sugar, vanilla sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, lemon zest, cinnamon, and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Whisk together egg and 2 tablespoons water, then add to the flour mixture along with butter pieces. Stir until crumbly, then continue stirring until streusel reaches desired size. Dust with 1 tablespoon flour and shake well
Butter a deep baking sheet and dust lightly with the remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Spread streusel on the sheet, press down, and form an edge. Chill streusel base for 30 minutes
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Prebake the base for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Remove and let cool
Split vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Heat cream, milk, vanilla seeds, and vanilla beans in a saucepan. Let steep for 5 minutes
Lightly beat the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a bowl. Remove vanilla beans from the cream mixture. Reheat the cream mixture (do not boil), then gradually whisk into the egg-sugar mixture. Return the custard to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened (do not boil). Let cool slightly, then stir in mascarpone. Mix in quark, vanilla liqueur, cornstarch, lemon zest, and lemon juice
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius (do not use convection). Spread the vanilla custard over the base. Bake on the lowest rack for 25 minutes. Remove the cake and let cool completely
Sprinkle coarse brown sugar evenly over the cooled custard. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar until golden and crisp
