Max Brenner’s Fudge Brownies

Before you read any further, I want to warn you that you should IN NO WAY be frightened off by the size of the portions this recipe requires.  But you ain’t gonna get away with your standard little Barbie Dream House Brownie Pan if you brave forth and make these babies. I had to haul ass to the local Sur La Table to pick up the mammoth 18 x 13 jelly roll pan required to handle the sheer volume of this recipe.

We are talking about 32 OUNCES OF DARK CHOCOLATE!  Do you know what 32 OUNCES OF DARK CHOCOLATE LOOKS LIKE?  Well, I’m here to tell you…. it looks really really good! Once you’re done with the rough chopping, you’ll just want to dive into it and roll around. Add to that 6 EGGS, AN ENTIRE CUP OF HEAVY CREAM, 2 STICKS OF BUTTER (a1 cup) and a FULL TABLESPOON OF VANILLA EXTRACT, and you’ve got basically a brownie mattress coming out of the oven.

These brownies are meant to be shared with family, friends, co-workers, the homeless, birds and small forest creatures… and you’ll still have some left over for yourself. Additionally, do not ignore the rule about refrigerating over night.  You may be tempted to eat them right out of the oven, but they are so fudgy they will crumble between your fingers.  Let them gain some mass in your freezer overnight.

Super-major big pics below.  Just click on each to enjoy the high-res richness!

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 32 ounces dark chocolate (approx. 70%), roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 & 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (or other nut)

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13″x 18″ jelly-roll pan with parchment paper. Butter and flour the paper.

Place chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Set aside. Place the butter and cream in a saucepan. Over medium, heat bring to a boil. Pour over chocolate and let sit about a minute or until chocolate begins to melt. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool.

Add vanilla extract to cooled chocolate mixture. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Whisk in sugar.

Sift 3/4 cup flour and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir into chocolate mixture until fully combined. Toss nuts with remaining 1/4 cup flour. Stir into batter.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Allow brownies too cool. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Tags: brownie, chocolate, dessert, fudge, Max Brenner