Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies
- Total Time
- About 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ½cup cocoa
- ½cup butter (1 stick)
- 2eggs
- 1cup sugar
- ¼cup flour
- 1cup chopped or broken-up walnuts or pecans
- 1teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch of salt
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
226 calories; 15 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 25 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Step 2
Melt butter in saucepan with cocoa and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.
- Step 3
In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, nuts and salt. Add to the cocoa-butter mixture. Stir until just combined.
- Step 4
Pour into a greased 8 x 8-inch-square pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Do not overbake; the brownies should be gooey. Let cool, then cut into bars.
Private Notes
Comments
This has been my go-to brownie recipe for 30 years, even after going to baking school! I agree that using the best cocoa possible makes a difference. These days, I use Callebaut. In the 80s, an acquaintence in Germany to whom I brought some of the brownies, and who considered herself a great cook, asked for the recipe but was never able to get it to work. She kept asking me what she was doing wrong and I was never able to solve her problem. Eventually, she moved to the US and stole my husband!
Bake it like Kate: Food & Wine published this recipe in a dessert book published in the late '80s. They left the method in Miss Hepburn's original rendition. Step 1 calls for the eggs and vanilla to be added to the melted cocoa/butter mixture, and then you "beat it all like mad." This you must do with perfect posture and cheeks sucked in, of course.
This is the go-to brownie recipe for so many people, including me, that I wasn’t planning on commenting. However, it seems like all the other people who love this recipe are swimming in a sea of Valrhona chocolate like Scrooge McDuck diving through piles of gold coins. Just wanted all the other bakers getting cocoa powder at Trader Joe’s and Walmart to know that everyone loves these brownies, even if made with regular ingredients. *Everyone* loves fat and sugar. Sincerely, a broke grad student
Made as the recipe but tried half the pan with 85% chocolate chips and half with salted crushed macadamia nuts. Here’s what I would do next time: - Definitely not with chocolate chips! With all the cocoa in the recipe, dark chocolate made the taste too heavy and texture was greasy. The nuts worked wonderfully, adding a ”dry” crunchy texture and some saltiness. - Reduce sugar by maybe 50 grams. These are very sweet as is. - Add a little bit more flour (maybe 10-20 grams). Otherwise will be very batter-like even after 35 minutes of baking.
Fantastic recipe! My teen made these & found it super easy & satisfying. Used the cocoa we had - a bit of regular, a bit of dutch process. Next time will add a bit more than a pinch of salt, otherwise it’s perfect.
I let the brownies cool completely before I cut them, but they still completely fell apart. The crumbs tasted delicious and were a great topping for ice cream. What do I need to differently to prevent them from crumbling apart when I cut them?
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