Recently, I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Max Brenner’s new book, Chocolate: A Love Story. Having enjoyed visiting one of his shops in New York, I was anxious to try out some recipes. Actually titled “A philosophical highly concentrated fudge brownie,” this chocolate extravagance cried out from the book’s pages to be made as soon as possible. Who am I to argue?
I’ve never understood why most brownie recipes are made in a tiny square pan. They’re brownies. Less is definitely not more. I am proud to say that these aren’t made in one of those small pans or even in a 9”x 13” pan. No, they’re made in a nice, big half sheet pan. That, my friends, is how brownies should be made.
Take the size of that pan into consideration when you read through the recipe. Don’t panic. Sure, it has two pounds of chocolate (I highly recommend Guittard’s 72% bittersweet chocolate) and a couple of sticks of butter, but the end result is a gigantic pan of brownies destined to make everyone you share them with your new best friend. I took the majority of these to work, where they were thoroughly enjoyed. Be warned that these are very rich – quite the adult brownie.
My only alteration to the recipe was using pecans instead of walnuts. First of all, I adore pecans. Secondly, walnuts? Ew. I’m sure there are some of you who have no objection to walnuts, so go right ahead and use them. Or, use hazelnuts or whatever kind of nut you prefer.
It is recommended that these be refrigerated overnight before cutting and serving. That definitely helped the firmness of these extra-fudgy brownies and made the cutting much simpler. So, don’t give in to your impatience and eat them as soon as they come out of the oven.
I feel confident that this is the first of many recipes I’ll try from this book. There are cakes and cookies and puddings and such that are already bookmarked for future baking. I just so happen to have an extra copy of this book that I would love to send to one of you lovely readers. If you’re interested and live in the U.S., just leave a comment on this post between now and Tuesday, November 10, 10am CST. I’ll pick one of your comments at random and send it your way!
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December 13th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
hay there
its look owesume and i think that i must try this out by my self and having a tea after wards
as mentioned how to make it and then how to serve it its
really imperasive
hard one but a delicious one
December 17th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
I say this every time I see brownies, but my wife LOVES them, so I really have to get cracking if I want to be in her good books for Xmas!
December 17th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
I think it’s time to have a new posting. Max’s brownies are now 6 weeks old!
December 23rd, 2009 at 5:11 pm
if this recipe has been on here 6 weeks, i may not get a response, but i have tried the max brenner brownies twice now and though they are sooooooooo delicious, I am continuing to have problems with them crumbling…what am i doing wrong???any help or advice would be appreciated!!
January 4th, 2010 at 9:51 am
after making Max Brenner’s brownies and having them tasted by a half a dozen people, including choco and brownie philes, it was concluded that this is a recipe gone awry. The taste was not pleasing! It left a long aftertaste of chocolate in your mouth that on the surface sounds like a good thing but actually was concluded not to be. This primary criticism does not address the expense of 32oz of good chocolate or the time to chop up said chocolate.I’m sorry my husband talked me into baking them.
January 14th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Where do you buy Guittard’s chocolate. I have never heard of that brand.
January 14th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Sarah, I know World Market carries Guittard. Someone told me that Sam’s does, but I don’t know. You can also order it through them at guittard.com.
January 28th, 2010 at 9:14 am
aw man- i think i might make these this weekend! Very generous of you to give away such an awesome cookbook! i would be honored to take it off your hands! I am a cookbook fiend!
February 21st, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Good shots of the brownies. Yummy!
March 1st, 2010 at 11:56 am
Jennifer, if you happen to see this post, I have a quick question. I see you recommend Guittard bittersweet, but what do YOU use when a recipe calls for unsweetened baking chocolate? I checked Guittard and see they don’t offer that. I’ve not been entirely satisfied with the quality of anything I’ve tried thus far. Since I’ve been reading your blog for several years, I believe your affinity for chocolate either matches or surpasses mine, and that’s saying something…so I know you’re the one to ask.
March 1st, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Jennifer, I usually use Ghirardelli, mostly because that’s all I have available locally. I would love to try some other kinds. Let me know if you find one that you like.
March 7th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
I made these last week and they were THE BEST fudge brownies I have ever had. And the amount that this recipe generates is jaw-dropping. Plus, it’s fun to make. Looking at that pile of just-chopped chocolate and KNOWING THAT IT’S ALL HEADED TO YOUR STOMACH is almost too much to handle. Oh, the torture of waiting for these to be done. Thanks for the post. I had to go buy a new belt because of you.
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April 22nd, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Where do you buy Guittard’s chocolate. I have never heard of that brand.
April 23rd, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Amy, Williams Sonoma carries some Guittard, and so does World Market. You can also order it online. I like chocosphere.com.