Why do my Cookies Look Cracked on the Top?

I get a lot of questions about how this texture is produced and I am amused by the way it is described! "It looks like dry, cracked, Georgia topsoil!" or "It reminds me of a road map!" I am actually thinking it looks like the surface of Mars but two weeks ago, I didn't even have a frame of reference for that. First, let me assure you that nothing is wrong with these cookies. They are edible and as delicious as the recipe dictates. I have seen some cookie experts suggest that this is a result of re-rolling the dough too much. I, however, tend to believe there is a scientific explanation for this.

This happens to me when I am using a soft fat ingredient. Some recipes call for peanut butter or cookie butter and that is what I expect when I use those ingredients. I have also had this to happen, usually in the middle of July in Georgia when my butter exceeded soft and was downright nearly melted. These cookies taste fine and you don't see the lines or cracks in the top if you are intending to cover them with frosting. The point is, there is no amount of experience or expertise that can outsmart chemistry. If you want those peanut butter cookies, go ahead. Just expect to see the cracks along the top and the soft bite in the resulting cookie.