Christmas Crackle Top Cookies - Recipe

A friend from FB, Krista, was talking about these Crackle Cookies.  Me being nosy, my love for cookies, and won't pass up a chance for a new recipe, asked what in the world is a Crackle Cookie.   People all I can say is once you make and taste these cookies, you will Thank me for being nosy!!!  Krista - I love you and despise my waist line already.

Christmas Crackle Top Cookies - Krista, fabulous Christian woman/friend, mother, and wife!
-2 cups all-purpose flour

-2 tsp baking powder
-2 cups sugar
-1/2 cup butter/ margarine
-4 squares (1 oz each) unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
-4 large eggs, lightly beaten
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-1 3/4 cups M&Ms mini baking bits (don't be like me and snack on these while while on the dough to chill, you will want all the M&Ms!!)
-Additional sugar

-Combine flour and baking powder in large bowl; set aside.
-In 2 qt sauce pan, over medium heat, combine sugar, butter, and chocolate.
-Stir until butter and chocolate are melted - a smooth mixture (as much as possible); remove from heat.
-Blend in eggs and vanilla (I slightly cooled the chocolate mixture and slowly added the eggs so I didn't get scrambled eggs in chocolate).
- Stir into flour mixture until well blended.
-Chill mixture for 1 hr.
-Stir in M&Ms; chill from an additional hr.
-Preheat oven to 350.
-Line cookie sheets with foil.
-With sugar-dusted hands, roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll into additional sugar.
-Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
-Bake for 10-12 minutes - I found to let cool on my baking sheet for a little bit before removing or I had some cookie left on the foil.
-It made about 40 cookies

*Krista's note - I have also used regular size M&Ms because it's what I had on hand (and I decrease the amount to 1 1/4 cup). I always double the recipe because these cookies seem to evaporate.**

I suggest to slowly add not dump but when you have

a 2 yr old attached to your leg......

I stopped here but Krista suggests keep going till

the mixture is smoother

Cooled and now slowly adding the egg mixture

Forgot the flour shot but flour has been added

as well as the M&Ms

I ran out of time and ended up chilling the dough over night

Also made bigger cookies too

Roll into sugar

"No-Nuts" - what Gabriel calls donuts funny

little guy!!

You are now ready to taste the chocolate goodness!

All ready for Christmas Eve

(These cookies are crunchy on sides and chewy in middle)

These cookies are truly wonderful and will stay on my hips for awhile.  But it is Christmas and I can worry about the weight loss with the New Year!  Bake away my Blogger friends bake away!  Then let me know what you think.

*Krista later told me that she found this recipe in the following cookbook - Best Loved Cookies'