Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and prepare one or two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
Roughly chop the dark chocolate bar. Roughly chop the butterscotch chips. Chop 6 strips of the cooked bacon into small pieces about the size of a chocolate chip. Finely mince the remaining 2 strips of bacon, this will be used as a topping on the cookies later.
In a large bowl combine the butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Beat together until the mixture becomes a bit lighter in color and airy in texture.
Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the butter mixture, and beat until fully combined. Scrape the edges and bottom of the bowl, give the dough one more good mix to ensure everything is evenly combined.
Add the butterscotch chips, half of the chopped chocolate, and the larger bits of bacon to the cookie dough. Fold everything together.
Scoop the cookie dough into balls, approximately 2-3 tablespoons of dough for each. Roll the top of each ball into the remaining chopped chocolate, then place onto the prepared cookie sheets. Be sure to leave a good amount of space in between the cookies as they will spread.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-14 minutes, the edges should be lightly golden when done.
Remove the tray of cookies from the oven, give the tray a couple taps onto the countertop, this will help settle the cookies.
While the chocolate on the cookies is still melted, sprinkle the tops with the minced bacon, and flake salt. You can also sprinkle additional chopped butterscotch chips on the top as well.
Let cool until set then serve or store to enjoy later.
Notes
The melted chocolate on the outside of these cookies makes them really special, and I love how it looks all swirly and delicious! That said, it is optional. You can just add all of the chocolate inside of the cookies instead!
Use regular bacon rather than thick cut or slab bacon. Thinner slices will cook up crispier and lighter, and give these cookies the best texture.
This recipe makes 12 large cookies, which is perfect, since they're best eaten right away.
Store these cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 2-3 weeks.