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    Home » Meals » Dessert

    February 9, 2012 American Recipes

    Katherine Hepburn’s Brownies

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Katherine Hepburn’s Brownies recipe-Katharine Hepburn was known for her sophisticated and strong persona, but also for her love of chocolate. Made with chocolate, butter, and just a touch of flour, these brownies are decadent!

    When I found out that her brownies only required 1/4 cup of flour, I knew I had to put them to the test!

    Could I possibly find another brownie recipe that I desperately need to try? I have a whole file with brownie recipes dating back to when I was first clipping recipes back when I was in middle school.

    The pages are yellowed and frayed. But I save every one of those recipes because I’m sentimental like that. Here is a brownie recipe I’ve had my eye on for quite a few years.

    overhead image of Katherine Hepburn's brownies on a parchment paper

    I’m not sure why I didn’t make them, but I’m pretty happy I finally did! It’s a recipe that accompanied a 1975 Ladies Home Journal interview with the amazing actress Katherine Hepburn and it was republished by Saveur. It was apparently a family recipe of the iconic Ms. Hepburn.

    I was intrigued by the minimal amount of flour in the recipe and by the ease of the recipe. Intrigued for years, it was about time I made these brownies. What took me so long?

    overhead image of Katherine Hepburn's brownies sliced on parchment paper

    These are melt in your mouth kind of brownies.

    The sort of brownies that you sneak another one of while the kids aren’t looking.

    These brownies are dangerous. Very dangerous.

    Tips for Making Katharine Hepburn’s Favorite Brownie Recipe

    1. It's imperative to line the brownie pan with parchment paper. I always have longer edges hanging over the sides that will help when it's time to lift the brownies out of the pan.
    2. The original recipe ask for a pinch of salt. If you add a bit more (1/2-3/4 teaspoon of salt), you'll get that perfect balance of sweet and salty, since the brownies are so rich in chocolate flavor.
    3. Add in nuts if you like! I'm not a huge brownie with nuts fan. But you could also add in peanut butter chips, chocolate chips (dark or milk chocolate).
    4. Let them cool for several hours before cutting. Because these brownies have such little flour in them, they are pretty gooey and difficult to cut. I let mine cool for about 4 hours at room temperature before cutting them, and sprayed my knife with a bit of nonstick cooking spray to make things easier.

    Super easy to make brownies that are moist, crumbly and fudgy. The batter is put together in a flash: less than 10 minutes! I added just a little bit of espresso to give it a kick.

    Ingredients to make Katherine Hepburn's Brownies

    • unsalted butter
    • unsweetened chocolate
    • brewed espresso
    • sugar
    • eggs
    • vanilla extract
    • flour
    • sea salt

    How to Make Katharine Hepburn’s Favorite Brownie Recipe

    The first step is to preheat the oven to 325°F . Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper; set aside.

    Melt the butter and chocolate together in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the espresso (or coffee). Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to make a smooth batter. Add the flour, salt, and stir until incorporated.

    Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes (i checked mine at about 38 minutes and they were done. Every oven is different so you may want to check yours at around 35 minutes).

    Let cool on a rack. Cut into squares and serve.

    brownie perfection:)

    Some other brownie recipes to enjoy:

    • Best Ever Chocolate Raspberry Brownies
    • Easy Peppermint Brownies
    • Vegan Matcha Brownies

    recipe found in Saveur

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    Katherine Hepburn’s Brownies

    Katherine Hepburn’s Brownies recipe-Katharine Hepburn was known for her sophisticated and strong persona, but also for her love of chocolate. Made with chocolate, butter, and just a touch of flour, these brownies are decadent!
    Prep Time8 mins
    Cook Time42 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Baking, Brownies, Chocolate
    Servings: 5
    Author: Lora

    Ingredients

    • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
    • 2 Tablespoons brewed espresso
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 eggs beaten
    • ½ tsp vanilla extract
    • ¼ cup flour
    • ½ tsp sea salt

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 325°F . Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper leaving longer pieces to hang over the sides to help remove the brownies; set aside.
    • Melt the butter and chocolate together in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the espresso (or coffee). Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to make a smooth batter. Add the flour, salt, and stir until incorporated.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes (i checked mine at about 38 minutes and they were done. Every oven is different so you may want to check yours at around 35 minutes).
    Tried this recipe?Mention @savoringitaly or tag #savoringitaly!

     

    « Mini Nutella Crostata {Crostatine alla Nutella}
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. A Thought For Food says

      February 09, 2012 at 3:56 pm

      Fabulous brownies and I love the story behind them!

      Reply
    2. anniebakes says

      February 09, 2012 at 4:00 pm

      I can't think of anything that would be better at this minute! anne
      http://www.anniebakes.net

      Reply
    3. Annie @ Naturally Sweet Recipes says

      February 09, 2012 at 4:05 pm

      Haha, I try every brownie recipe too! These look amazing!

      Reply
    4. Shawn says

      February 09, 2012 at 4:39 pm

      Back to my kitchen to make them right now...Seriously!

      Reply
    5. Priyanka says

      February 09, 2012 at 5:11 pm

      Great looking brownies, and proves your point on sneaking... 🙂

      Reply
    6. Sudha says

      February 09, 2012 at 5:13 pm

      Ohh Lora,just can't keep my hands off these!And to think that the great Ms. Hepburn actually munched on these brownies - that adds a new dimension to them altogether!Awesome!
      Sudha
      Ongoing Event - 'Love for Lentils'

      Reply
    7. Jan says

      February 09, 2012 at 8:13 pm

      I've heard of these brownies! I had no idea they only had a quarter cup of flour. They look amazing.

      Reply
    8. Eva {Not your mama's dinner} says

      February 09, 2012 at 9:56 pm

      These brownies look just perfect. A little bit like miss Hepburn herself, I would say. Nicely done! Thanks for the inspiration...

      Reply
    9. Rose in VT says

      February 09, 2012 at 10:05 pm

      I have a yellowed copy of this recipe too! Can't even remember when I clipped it , but is THE brownie recipe in this house!

      Reply
    10. Donna says

      February 09, 2012 at 10:44 pm

      Oh my...my sister's superlative recipe for brownies she made (and I had the great fortune of sharing)..in high school in the late '70s....She was always the biggest Katherine Hepburn fan and imagined her baking these for Spencer Tracey...

      They are fudgey, decadent....TOP! My next brownie bake is this one!!!

      Reply
    11. Paula says

      February 10, 2012 at 1:01 am

      So happy that you went through your old magazine clipped recipes and found this one. Katherine Hepburn was a class act (as are you) and so are these brownies!

      Reply
    12. foodwanderings says

      February 10, 2012 at 3:28 am

      Hey girlie I made S chewy brownies in one of his care packages. Next I will bake these beauties!! I might be tempted to keep them for myself.

      Reply
    13. Nancy says

      February 10, 2012 at 4:33 am

      You are not alone - I have 6 shoe boxes full of 3 x 5 cards - my mother's entire recipe collection and guess what? This recipe is one of them! i can attest this are very dangerous brownies... and so worth making!

      Reply
    14. Jackie @ Vegan Yack Attack! says

      February 10, 2012 at 6:22 am

      This recipe seems so simple, and for once, I'm not intimidated by the thought of making brownies. Maybe this will be my dessert choice for this weekend... Thanks for the great post! 🙂

      Reply
    15. Ken│hungry rabbit says

      February 10, 2012 at 12:08 pm

      Love the simplicity of this scrumptious brownie recipe. Much like Ms. Hepburn, it's a classic.

      Reply
    16. marla says

      February 10, 2012 at 1:59 pm

      Dangerous brownies sound amazing girl!! Fun recipe 🙂

      Reply
    17. Monet says

      February 10, 2012 at 2:53 pm

      Yum! Any brownie recipe with that ratio of butter to flour just has to be good. Thank you for sharing, sweet girl. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Hugs and love from Austin.

      Reply
    18. Georgia | The Comfort of Cooking says

      February 10, 2012 at 6:51 pm

      Lora, these brownies look decadent and delicious! What a wonderful recipe to share - I'm inspired to make them myself! Have a wonderful weekend.

      Reply
    19. EveryCraving says

      February 11, 2012 at 2:42 am

      Those look delicious! Makes me majorly crave chocolate right now.

      Reply
    20. Bunkycooks says

      February 11, 2012 at 2:41 pm

      That is a tiny amount of flour, but okay with me. The fudgier, the better, when it comes to brownies! I agree with Ken. Ms. Hepburn is a classic and so is the recipe.

      Reply
    21. Baking Serendipity says

      February 12, 2012 at 4:40 am

      I think brownie recipes are a fantastic thing to collect 🙂 These look perfect!

      Reply
    22. DessertForTwo says

      February 12, 2012 at 5:49 am

      These are my go-to brownies!

      Reply
    23. Angie's Recipes says

      February 12, 2012 at 8:55 am

      Love those rich brownies flavoured with espresso!

      Reply
    24. Karriann says

      February 12, 2012 at 3:10 pm

      Mmmm... I'd love to have a bite of that!

      "Happy Cooking"

      Reply
    25. Mari says

      February 12, 2012 at 6:43 pm

      These brownies look great! I like the recipe a lot! Will try. Thanks 🙂

      Reply
    26. Reeni says

      February 12, 2012 at 8:18 pm

      I've had my eye on these for a long time Lora! You make them look and sound as sinful as I thought they would be! xoxo

      Reply
    27. Anonymous says

      February 13, 2012 at 2:24 am

      In true Hepburn style - - (both Audrey & Katherine) these are both simple and gorgeous 🙂

      Reply
    28. Cookin' Canuck says

      February 13, 2012 at 4:35 am

      That's so funny that you posted this. I was just telling my kids about Katherine Hepburn yesterday - how she rocked the boat when she started wearing pants before any other lady in Hollywood. If these brownies are as good as her movies, then I need to whip up a batch...pronto.

      Reply
    29. Jamie says

      February 13, 2012 at 1:32 pm

      Sweetheart, this recipe is in the New York Cookbook and I used to make it years ago when I first got the book. They are simply fabulous! Love your photo!

      Reply
    30. Maureen says

      February 13, 2012 at 2:09 pm

      I love this recipe! I was watching Jamie Oliver the other day and he did brownies and he said that he always undercooks them just a tad and the edges never go hard. I'm anxious to try that. I figure I can eat the middle with a spoon when nobody is looking. A big spoon. 🙂

      Reply
    31. Catherine says

      February 14, 2012 at 5:34 am

      Mmm.. you can never have a brownie that is too rich.

      XO,
      Catherine
      (Click here to enter my anthropologie kitchen tools giveaway.)

      Reply
    32. Shannen says

      February 19, 2012 at 10:22 pm

      I absolutely love this brownie recipe. It is a family favorite.

      Reply

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    Welcome to our Italian kitchen! We are Lora and Gabriella, the mother-daughter team behind Savoring Italy. With more than 30+ years of experience in the kitchen, Lora has had a great advantage – receiving guidance from both her husband who is an executive chef/restaurant owner and her mother who is a renowned private chef. 

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