Katharine Hepburn Brownies


I had been baking brownies since I was child and had a few favorite recipes that I liked to use, until one day someone shared pure chocolate goodness with me. I had never tasted a more delicious brownie…the smell, the texture and the true chocolate joy. I was in love!

I was taking a class in furniture upholstery in the mid 1990’s held in large warehouse space with 10-12 of us working on upholstering a wide variety of vintage furniture pieces. The highlight of each session’s lunch break were the fresh baked treats often shared by the lovely retired ladies that were created from their favorite recipes in Junior Club cookbooks. These were baked from Katharine Hepburn’s brownie recipe from the 1960’s found in one of the cookbooks. One bite and I knew I must have the recipe! I quickly scribbled it down on the back of scrap of paper that I was using to calculate fabric yardage for my sofa project. Ever since that day, these are the only brownies I bake and I still follow the recipe from that original scrap of paper. It is well worn.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 lb butter = 1/2 c or 1 stick
2 sq = 2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 c flour
1/4 t salt
1 c chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees

  1. Melt butter and chocolate together on stove or Pyrex measuring cup in microwave for ~1 min
  2. Pour melted chocolate mixture into mixing bowl.
  3. Stir in sugar. Mix well.
  4. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well.
  5. Stir in flour, salt, walnuts. Do not over stir.
  6. Bake in buttered and floured 8″ sq pan at 325 degrees for 40 min
    *For bite size brownies, bake in buttered /floured or paper cup lined mini muffin tins for 16-18 min. Makes 24 mini brownies.

These are fairly quick and easy to make. Enjoy!