For the people who are having trouble getting the cracked, shiny tops: Be sure you don't get any water on the top of the cookie. If you are using a scoop that has recently been dipped into water to keep the dough from sticking, make sure the cookie is "wet side" down on the cookie sheet. Be very careful touching the cookies with wet fingers, too. I ran an experiment where I baked a "wet side up" cookie, a cookie I had moved around with wet fingers, and one that I had used a wet spoon to mash down a bit. (I also baked a control cookie that hadn't touched any water.) The wet side up cookie had no cracks or shine. The cookie I had moved around with wet fingers showed places (about the size of my fingers) where there were no cracks or shine. The wet spoon cookie was all shiny and crackled--except for where the wet spoon touched. And the control cookie? It was beautifully crackled and shiny. Hope this helps.

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