Ingredients:

  • 4 oz (115 g) Full Fat Cream Cheese, softened (for base)
  • 1/2 cup (115 g) Unsalted Butter, softened (for base)
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 1/2 cups (180 g) All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 cup (25 g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Dutch-processed preferred)
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • 1/4 cup (57 g) Unsalted Butter, melted (for filling)
  • 4 oz (115 g) Full Fat Cream Cheese, softened (for filling)
  • 1 Large Egg Yolk
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for filling)
  • 2 cups (240 g) Confectioners’ Sugar, sifted (for filling)
  • 1/2 cup (60 g) Confectioners’ Sugar (for coating)

Instructions:

  1. Prep the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Make the Dough Base (Wet Ingredients): In a large bowl, cream together the 4 oz of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of butter, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy—about 2 minutes. Beat in the whole egg and vanilla until combined. Scrape down the sides.
  3. Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Gradually incorporate the dry mixture into the wet mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
  4. Chill: Wrap the dough in cling film or place it in a covered container and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Prepare the Filling: While the dough chills, make the gooey filling. In a medium bowl, combine the 4 oz of softened cream cheese and the 1/4 cup of melted butter. Whisk until perfectly smooth.
  6. Finish the Filling: Add the single egg yolk and vanilla extract, whisking well. Gradually incorporate the sifted 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar until the mixture is thick, smooth, and lump-free. Set aside.
  7. Roll and Coat the Dough: Place the 1/2 cup of coating confectioners’ sugar in a shallow bowl. Use a cookie scoop to portion the chilled dough into 1.5-inch balls. Roll each ball completely in the powdered sugar. (This ensures that signature crackle finish.)
  8. Form and Indent: Place the coated dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon, gently press a well (a shallow indent) into the centre of each dough ball.
  9. Fill and Bake: Spoon about 1–1.5 teaspoons of the gooey filling into the well of each cookie. Bake for 10–12 minutes. The edges of the chocolate dough should look set, but the filling center must still look very pale and slightly soft/wobbly.
  10. Cool Completely: Remove the trays and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. They will continue to set as they cool.