Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies

Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies
Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.
Total Time
About 45 minutes
Rating
5(12,424)
Comments
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Much like its author, this recipe is a no-fuss classic. It calls for just ¼ cup of flour, which yields an incredibly rich and gooey brownie, and it's super easy to make. So easy, in fact, that baking a batch of these might just become part of your weekend routine. (Watch the video of Vaughn Vreeland making Katharine Hepburn’s brownies here.)

Featured in: Straight Talk From Miss Hepburn; Plus the Actress's Own Brownie Recipe

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Ingredients

Yield:12 brownies
  • ½cup cocoa
  • ½cup butter (1 stick)
  • 2eggs
  • 1cup sugar
  • ¼cup flour
  • 1cup chopped or broken-up walnuts or pecans
  • 1teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 325 degrees.

  2. 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.

  3. Step 3

    In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, nuts and salt. Add to the cocoa-butter mixture. Stir until just combined.

  4. 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.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
12,424 user ratings
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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

These are okay brownies. Easy to make. Very light texture and not a real strong chocolate flavor. Not my favorite.

Very underwhelming, don’t get what all the rave is about lol

Have made twice. I dont understand the hype at all. First time followed recipe exactly. Seemed too gooey, but not even super chocolatey. Taste = meh and worried they were undercooked. Added two more tbls flour the next time, 1 Tsp Of espresso powder and cooked for 35 min instead of 30. Meh. Kinda dry. Not very rich. Better day 2, but still not great.

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