There is nothing better than the smell in the house while baking these chewy bacon brown butter chocolate chip cookies. Simply the best! They’re crisp, chewy and loaded with gooey chocolate. Shall I say anything else? Ok, they are BOMB!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
Place 4 tbsp of butter in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
Cut bacon into 1/2 pieces. Lay them on a plate or wide bowl. Do not cover with paper towel. Set time to 3 minutes. Once done, be careful since the bowl will be hot. Drain fat and set cooked bacon a side. Repeat until you get 5 tbsp. I used 6 pieces.
In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan set over medium-high heat, add 5 tbsp of butter. Heat until melted, about 2-3 minutes, then whisk constantly until the butter begins to sizzle, then foam. The butter will become golden brown with a nutty aroma. DO NOT LET IT BURN. Add in bacon grease, stir it in. Remove from heat and pour over the butter in the large mixing bowl. Stir until the butter is completely melted.
Add in both sugars, salt, and vanilla, whisk until combined. Add the egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Let the mixture stand for 3 minutes.
In the meantime, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda.
Stir in flour mixture to the large bowl, mix until just combined. Fold in both chocolate chips.
Scoop out dough with a small ice cream scooper. Create balls of dough that are approximately 1.5 tablespoons in size. Place 9 balls of dough on each sheet, sprinkle the tops with sea salt if desired. Add in the crispy bacon to each cookie, I did 3-4 pieces to each one.
Place one sheet at a time in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the sheets for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter; the dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is browned.Use a microwave to crisp up the bacon, yes, I know, I know, I just bought my first ever microwave. But if you really want to make it on the stove, totally do.You can scoop (portion the dough out) and freeze it for up to 3 months. Bake them for a few minutes longer than recommended.