Katharine Hepburn's Brilliant Trick for the Best Brownies

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Less flour and more cocoa powder deliver a fudgy texture and rich chocolate flavor.

Wanna try???

How I Make Katharine Hepburn's Brownies

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Add 1/2 cup (eight tablespoons or one stick) unsalted butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in 1/2 cup cocoa powder; I suggest using the highest quality cocoa powder you can find and personally like Dutch-process. Once this mixture is smooth, remove from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool slightly.

In the meantime, whisk 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt together in a bowl. Katharine’s original recipe calls for “a pinch of salt,” but since everyone’s idea of a pinch is different, I use 1/2 teaspoon to balance the sweetness and richness without being overtly salty.

Grease an 8-inch square (preferably aluminum) baking pan with butter and line with a strip of parchment paper, letting it hang over two sides. Lining the pan is not called for in the original recipe, but it will really help you get these fudgy brownies out of the pan, so I highly recommend it.

Crack one egg into the cocoa-butter mixture and whisk well to combine. Crack in another egg along with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and (another of my tweaks) 1/2 tablespoon espresso powder and whisk until completely smooth. Fold in the dry ingredients and 1 cup of roughly chopped, toasted walnuts.

Pour the batter into your greased and lined pan. Bake for about 30 minutes. Let cool completely at room temperature before slicing and serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze in a resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost frozen brownies overnight in the fridge or on the counter before serving.