Festive Peppermint Brownies

1. Generously coat a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. In a small bowl, mix flour, soda, and salt.
4. In a small sauce pan, combine sugar, butter, and water. Bring to a boil, remove immediately from heat.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla until mixture is smooth and chocolate is melted. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, cool completely.
6. Stir in eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition. Gradually add flour mixture; mix until smooth.
7. Add enough brownie batter to just cover the bottom of the prepared pan. Evenly place quartered peppermint patties over the batter and top with remaining batter.
8. Bake for 28-30 minutes. Cool completely, cut into bars. Store in a tightly sealed plastic container.