APT13: Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies
I would like to introduce you to one of the easiest and most delicious brownie recipes I’ve ever come across in all my years of baking, the Katharine Hepburn Brownie Recipe. Yes, that Katharine Hepburn.
The late Ms. Hepburn attended college in the Philadelphia suburbs, Bryn Mawr College, so in my head I feel like I have a kinship with Kate. The woman could act and make a hell of a brownie. This PBS article goes into the story of the recipe and how Katharine Hepburn shared it with others.
Visit the New York Times Cooking website for the full recipe. It has a shockingly small amount of flour in it. The key is to bake it on 325F and not to over bake it! These brownies will be crisp on the edge and gooey in the center. Just like her acting, they are a masterpiece.
I have used this recipe many times and have switched some things up from time to time. If I don’t have cocoa powder on hand, I will melt unsweetened chocolate. Instead of walnuts, I have used white chocolate chips. There is some freedom to test out ingredients with this recipe, but don’t stray too far from the fundamentals or you will end up with a bad batch. (But, is there really such a thing as a bad batch of brownies, though?)
The only other tip I can give is if you are using salted butter, you can forgo the pinch of salt that is listed. As with most baking, room temperature eggs work best. However, I can honestly say that I have tried this recipe with cold and room temperature eggs and I haven’t noticed a difference. I think because this mixture is so dense, it doesn’t matter too much. Oh, and for the love of Pete, do not use imitation vanilla extract — in anything. Just… don’t.
Happy baking!
