Katharine Hepburn Was A Master At Baking This Classic Treat

During awards season, multiple news outlets like to take a look back at some of the most famous winners from decades gone by. One such icon was none other than Katharine Hepburn, who is the only recipient ever to have won Best Actress at the Academy Awards a record-breaking four times. Something else she also happened to be a master at? Baking brownies.

While you wouldn't bat an eye at getting a tip on how to make guacamole like chef Bobby Flay or insight into the best kind of saute pan according to Anthony Bourdain, getting reliable recipes or valuable culinary info from a celebrity isn't usually our first port of call. (Unless, perhaps, that celebrity also happens to have their own line of cookware, cookbooks, or baking mixes, à la Chrissy Teigen.)

The slacks-wearing star may have been more famous for her unconventional attitudes — she preferred trousers to dresses and had a reputation for haughty behavior – but there was at least one thing about her that was in line with the culture at the time: an incredible brownie recipe. Nice and fudgy and with plenty of nuts, Hepburn's brownies are remembered fondly to this day.

In a letter to the editor of the New York Times in 2003 following the death of Katharine Hepburn, neighbor Heather Henderson reminisced about the Hollywood icon, who was not only a straight-talker when it came to her films, but also in her personal life. Henderson recalled a memorable encounter in which her father brought a pan of brownies to the actress, who was recovering from a car accident. A nice gesture, but the brownies were less than stellar. Too much flour, and over-baked to the point of cakeiness — hardly the rich, fudgy texture with that crisp, crinkly top that Hepburn knew made for the best brownies.

As someone who has made many a pan of brownies herself, these are two vital components of the ideal brownie. Brownies set up in the pan — much like cookies on the sheet — and so you want to remove them from the oven while they appear under-baked. They will finish baking in the pan, giving you that perfectly gooey, fudgy texture. Katharine Hepburn liked her brownies with chopped nuts, but that doesn't make or break a solid brownie recipe.

So, do as an Oscar legend does and use less flour and cook for less time to get an indulgent chocolatey dessert perfect for enjoying in front of the Academy Awards. Or, try your hand at these 4-ingredient brownies made with cottage cheese.