I have this friend Jodie who used to make a gang of us the most amazing baked goods you’ve ever had. Ever. Jodie has the gift. There was one amazeballs cookie that hid a peanut butter cup in its creamy center and was surrounded by goodness that we all looked forward to every holiday season. I’m telling you guys, these cookies were the mother scratching bomb. I’m pretty sure they could cure leprosy. I even woo’d my husband — then boyfriend — with these cookies. I knew that paying my friend to make cookies for the guy I had only been dating a few months was weird, but whatever. Totally worked.

While Jodie always kept her recipe a secret, now that I live across the continent from her and her lovely treats, and I can’t even eat them anymore, I decided to try to figure out how to do them myself. And, of course, make these peanut butter cup delights gluten-free. Dear reader, I did it. (I think. Jodie, tell me what I left out. Chocolate liquor? Fairy dust? Chocolate liquor fairy dust?) They are almost as perfect as Jodie’s. Which means, amazing, but not transcendent. If only I had that secret ingredient. (Jodie, are you reading??? Please don’t tell me it’s “gluten.”) My husband claims they are the Jodie cookie. I thought so at first too. But I must test them on other fans of the cookie to make sure before I go around bragging that I can make you cry while eating a baked good. Oh, what the hell. THEY’RE AWESOME, EVERYBODY!!!

Okay, one weird thing. They kind of stick to your gums. But if you’d like to look on the bright side, that means you have an extra bit of cookie to keep and enjoy later. You’re welcome.

Once again, thanks to Thomas Keller and his scrumptious Cup4Cup gluten-free flour mix I was able to produce some seriously delish cookies. It took some practice, and I’ll admit my first batch is downright ugly, if not mouth-watering. But I’ve cracked the code on these peanut butter cup chunks of orgasmic heaven and I will now share with you, the secrets of the universe. In a cookie.

Step 1: Roll into a lovely peanut butter ball

Step 2: Add scrumptious peanut butter cup

Step 3: Create deliciousness in a patty

Step 4: Bake, eat, repeat.

Happy freaking holidays, celiacs.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

adapted from My Name is Snickerdoodle

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 17 minutes

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 cups gluten-free flour
24 Reeses’ Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures, unwrapped completely

1. Preheat oven to 350º.

2. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugars. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat well. Mix in peanut butter. Stir in baking soda, salt and gluten-free flour and combine until well incorporated.

3. Roll dough into 2 1/2 inch balls. Place a peanut butter cup in the middle of each ball and then wrap the dough around, rolling it into a ball again.

4. Place 12 on a cookie sheet evenly spaced apart. Bake for 12-17 minutes.

5. If you wish, decorate with chocolate stripes. I used leftover fudge from my ice cream cake recipe and went to town.

Makes: 24 cookies