Milton Hershey was the first American to develop a formula for making milk chocolate, and for that, I feel that we should honor him with some kind of national holiday. Where would we be without the Hershey bar and its individual rectangles of delight, waiting to be eaten brick by brick, or stuffed into a s’more, or dipped into a spoonful of peanut butter? What peanut butter blossom cookie would be the same without a Hershey’s Kiss? What glass of milk would be complete, when you were eight, without a squirt of Hershey’s syrup?

Ahh, Hershey’s syrup. As a person who doesn’t really like milk, this saved me many times as a child, making the required glass with dinner much more bearable. Hershey’s syrup isn’t just for milk and ice cream, though – it plays a starring role in these brownies, yielding a tender, almost cake-like texture. When baked, the tops of these brownies are a bit sticky, so they need some type of frosting or glaze; I chose to use a simple almond glaze, as chocolate and almond are among my favorite flavor combinations. You could certainly frost them with chocolate, though – I bet Mr. Hershey would like that.

Ingredients

Hershey’s Syrup Brownies

• 8 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 16-ounce can chocolate syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour

Almond Glaze

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• About 3 teaspoons almond extract
• About 3 tablespoons water

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan or spray with baking spray.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, chocolate syrup, and vanilla and beat on low, then medium speed, until combined. Add flour and beat until combined. Batter will be quite thin. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 30 minutes; the top will look shiny and wet, but a cake tester should come out clean.

Cool brownies completely in the pan before adding the almond glaze.

Once brownies are cool, in a medium bowl or large glass measuring cup, combine powdered sugar with 2 teaspoons almond extract and 1 tablespoon water. Stir to combine, adding additional extract and water to reach a moderately thick glaze that is still pourable. Pour over brownies and spread with an offset spatula. Allow to harden before serving.