Fudge Brownies

I like Martha Stewart's fudge brownie recipe from her book, Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. But, I like a really rich brownie. To her recipe, I add about 1/4 c. of chocolate syrup or fudge sauce (depending on what I have at the moment). I also follow the advice of a friend, who adds a chopped up candy bar on top of a boxed brownie mix to jazz it up a bit. I chop up one Tolberone bar to put on top of each batch of brownies. They really add to the brownies, both visually and texturally. These brownies usually go over very well with any crowd. Just make sure to have a tall glass of milk handy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
8oz bittersweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1/4 c. Chocolate syrup/fudge sauce
1 candy bar, coarsely chopped


Preheat the oven to 350. Butter/pam an 8-inch square baking pan or heatproof glass dish.

Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water; stir frequently until chocolate and butter are melted, about 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat; let cool to room temperature about 10-15 minutes.

Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in flour, chocolate sauce, and salt.

Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth top with an offset spatula. Sprinkle candy bar bits evenly over the brownies. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook