Brownie Pie with Homemade Fudge Sauce

This is another one of those nostalgic recipes - something that my mom would make for our family as a special treat, back when we all lived under the same roof. I think she originally got it from an M&Ms calendar. There's now an updated version on the M&Ms website, but I have a few preferences that differ from theirs. First, I'm still partial to the chopped regular-sized M&Ms rather than the Minis, even though the latter would require less effort. I think I like seeing the chocolate insides melt when I drop them on the warm brownie and fudge (I'm sorry, am I drooling?). Second, even though I'm a whipped cream lover, the recipe seems to call for way more than needed. I halved it below and added my favorite mix-ins - vanilla and granulated sugar. Third, to further enhance the yummy-ness, I've also included the fudge sauce recipe my mom gave me (unfortunately, I've got no clue where this came from). I halved the amounts shown below, used the 1/4 cup called for in the Brownie Pie, and still had some left over for sundaes!

Colors just make things more fun to eat, don't they?

Brownie Pie

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 cup fudge topping
1/4 cup chopped M&Ms

1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Additional whole M&Ms for garnish

Heat oven to 325. Grease pie plate or round pan (9 x 1 1/2 inches). Mix sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, eggs, flour, and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour into pan. Bake until wooden pick inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Immediately prick holes in pie with wooden pick; spread fudge sauce over top. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped candy. Cool completely.
Beat whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla in chilled bowl on high speed until stiff; spread over fudge sauce. Drizzle with additional fudge sauce if desired and top with candy just before serving. Refrigerate any remaining pie. (6-8 servings)

Some day I just need to break the rules, not wait for the pie to "cool completely" as instructed, and dig into the warm, chocolaty goodness.

Fudge Sauce

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla

In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and cocoa. In a heavy small saucepan, melt butter with whipping cream over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium heat 5-6 minutes or until mixture just boils around edges. Add the sugar-cocoa mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes more or until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Serve immediately for sundaes or other desserts, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Reheat in the microwave or on stove top. Makes 1 2/3 cups.

P.S. I made this over the weekend for a movie night with the in-laws. We finally got to see Slumdog Millionaire on Netflix - it was well worth the wait! We loved it! Definitely see it if you haven't already.