Best. Cookies. Ever.

I have heard these cookies go by many names: Chocolate Crackles, Christmas Crinkles, and Snow Caps, to name a few. Most recognize them as a popular choice when baked goods are called for during the holidays. They are my favorite cookie, and I consider them almost deadly when peanut butter filling is baked into the centers.

Here's a nearly-NSFW photo of the filling:

Deadly.

Chocolate Cookie Ingredients:

1½ C flour

½ C unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ C butter, salted

½ granulated sugar

½ brown sugar

¼ C peanut butter

1 egg

1 tbs milk (I used soy)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Filling Ingredients:

½ C peanut butter

¾ C confectioners sugar

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking soda, set aside. Beat together butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and ¼ C of peanut butter. Add egg, milk and vanilla, mixing well. Mix in dry ingredients. Form into 32 equally portioned balls.

For the filling, sift the confectioners sugar and add the rest of the peanut butter until smooth. Portion this dough into 32 balls, as well.

Lay the balls of chocolate balls out on parchment and lightly flatten each one. I covered them with a small square of parchment and flattened them with my hand. Place a portion of the peanut butter dough on top of each piece of chocolate dough, as pictured below, and shape the chocolate around the peanut butter.

Roll the balls in confectioners sugar and place 2" apart on a parchment lined sheet tray. Lightly flatten each one, as pictured above. Bake at 350℉ for 4 minutes, rotate, and bake for 4 more minutes. They're done baking when they start to display their trademark cracked top.

One more gratuitous shot: