Here's a recipe that has been on our radar for a long time: Katherine Hepburn's brownies. Yes, apparently Katharine Hepburn baked, and this recipe for fudgy brownies has been passed down in her name. We first heard about it from Laurie Colwin, and we bookmarked it then. But brownies are not our go-to dessert, and we took a long time to get around to trying these. That's a shame.
Classic Recipe: Katharine Hepburn's Brownies
It's a shame, because these, folks, are the perfect brownies. Well, at least we think so. We adore fudgy brownies, served up in inch-long squares, brownies that stick to your teeth and melt in your mouth. These are those sort of brownies. They aren't cakey; even after baking the full amount of time, these don't look done. They are pure fudge deliciousness.
They are also ridiculously easy: they are made on the stovetop, where you melt butter and chocolate and then mix in sugar, eggs, and a bit of flour. Pour and bake. Done.
We did jazz these up just a bit with a swirl of cream cheese filling that replaced the nuts. This gave them a sweet creaminess here and there, amidst the rich chocolate. We also doubled the recipe and baked it in a 13x9" pan, which made them thick but not too thick. One tip: If you bake these, it's helpful line the pan with extra-long parchment paper that will let you lift the brownies up out of the pan. It's helpful to let them cool before cutting, too.
Have you ever tried this classic recipe? It's been reprinted in many places, and it's just as classic as Katharine Hepburn herself. If you like brownies, this is definitely one to try.
• Get the recipe: Katharine Hepburn's Brownies at Epicurious
• Cream cheese swirl: Half the swirl recipe from David Lebovitz's Black-Bottom Cupcakes at Leite's Culinaria
Related: Recipe Review: One Bowl Mascarpone Brownies
(Images: Faith Durand)
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Those sound great - but now I'm curious, what is your go-to dessert?
view sara jane's profile
The recipe I have is close to this and they are the most amazing brownies.
view alexis's profile
My mother had this recipe and I baked it forever, but I finally decided I wanted brownies that were a little thicker so I modified it slightly and now it's heaven!
view bluesky557's profile
I use this recipe from the Gourmet cookbook. This is my go to recipe for brownies and they always turn out great.
view Erin B's profile
This inspired my son to bake some. Thanks AT, he is using a hot chile chocolate.
view Kate (NC)'s profile
These look and sound great. But man, that is a lot of butter.
Definitely think going for slightly thicker and using a shorter cook time worked out better than the original recipe. The reviews on Epicurious seem to indicate that the actual recipe posted could use some tweaking as well.
view wunami's profile
But he did have to choose, bake or mow.
view Kate (NC)'s profile
Looks remarkably similar to my go-to brownie recipe from the (new-ish) Joy of Cooking. I was initially attracted to it when I was trying to cut fat from my diet, and now I prefer them to just about every other recipe I've tried. They have that underdone fudgy gooey-ness I love.
view FiatLex's profile
I also found this recipe in the Gourmet Cookbook. I like a brownie that's just a touch more cake-like, so I add an extra 1/8 c. flour to the recipe. Super good!
view elmcclell's profile
How much is "two squares" of chocolate?
view mdeatherage's profile
Interestingly, I found these a little too sweet. I think I have a taste for VERY dark chocolate or something.
Mdeatherage, two squares of chocolate usually refers to 2 squares of baking chocolate, and each square is usually an ounce. So this would be 2 ounces of baking chocolate.
view empresscallipygos's profile
This is the brownie recipe I made growing up!
view mollyjade's profile
You mean Katharine Hepburn?
view ElleBee's profile
Whoops! Corrected...
view faith's profile
These are delicious. I have made many times but it's been awhile. Thanks for the reminder. The recipe is also in Molly O'Neill's New York Cookbook.
view H.H. Hannah's profile
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view windfrost9's profile