• Note before you begin: This cookie dough needs to be chilled for at least 24 hours prior to baking. Skipping this step will result in flat cookies that lack flavor. Please do not skip this step!

Prepare the Bacon:

• Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C. Place bacon strips in single layers on large baking pans covered in parchment paper or non-stick foil. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip each strip of bacon. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until bacon is very, very crisp. Transfer bacon to a few paper towels to drain excess fat well. Allow to cool completely.
• Place cooled bacon in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Brown the Butter:

• Place cubed butter in a medium stainless steel saucepan or skillet. Over a medium heat, melt the butter, and allow it to brown. This will take approximately 5-8 minutes. Stir occasionally. The butter will foam and become a bit hard to see the bottom – that's okay. Keep a close eye on it until the butter is a deep golden brown.
• Remove from heat and transfer to a large heatproof mixing bowl. Be sure to scrape out all those little brown bits at the bottom of the pan for maximum flavor!

Make the Cookie Dough:

• Add the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar to the hot browned butter. Whisk vigorously to combine well and set aside to cool until almost room temperature.
• Once the butter/sugar mixture has cooled, add the eggs, egg yolk, and bourbon. Whisk well until incorporated. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
• Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a rubber spatula until almost incorporated.
• Add the chocolate chunks and fold until just combined.
• Using a large 3-Tablespoon sized spring-loaded cookie scoop, portion the cookie dough into balls. If the dough is too soft to scoop, cover and chill for about 20 minutes before shaping.
• Place the bacon crumbles on a plate and press the top of each cookie dough ball in the bacon. Use your fingers to spread the bacon out evenly, if needed. Repeat until each ball is topped with bacon crumbles.

Chill the Dough:

• Place the bacon-topped cookie dough balls inside an airtight container or place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover well with plastic wrap. Chill for 24-48 hours.

Bake the Cookies:

• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C. Line light-colored rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Bake cookies on prepared pans, spaced at least 2 inches apart, for 9 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown at the edges and just slightly damp looking in the middle. Dot the tops of each cookies with additional chocolate chunks, if desired.
• Allow cookies to cool completely on pans before serving or storing inside an airtight container for up to 4 days. The bourbon flavor will be even more prominent the next day.