I was on a search – on the prowl. I was browsing through our local bargain book store looking for some affordable/disposable light reading to take along on a much anticipated trip.
We were almost packed – almost ready to take off to visit old Air Force friends at their summer place in Molasses Pond, Maine. Delta would get us from Seattle safely—-not quietly, not hassle free but safely—-to Boston. From there a smaller plane would take us on a slightly more bumpy, and a little more exciting flight to Bangor. Our friends would pick us up for the one hour drive back to their beautiful little slice of tranquility at the lake (Molasses Pond).
Past experience had taught me that I needed reading material for the trip – and a head set – not for the music but to muffle the high pitched demands of the ever present gatherings of two year olds – surrounding our half-butt size seats. And considering the aircraft’s sardine can ambience requiring elbows be tucked inside the seat arms, knees be together and ankles uncrossed in some contorted fashion, my expected comfort for the trip was just a hair above zero. Light reading would be about as much as I wanted to concentrate on. —- Oh, yes, I digress, light reading….
As luck would have it I came upon Kate Remembered by A. Scott Berg. Standing in the book store I quickly previewed it. Excellent light reading indeed. (For those too young to remember Katherine Hepburn was a hugely popular movie star of the 1940′s and beyond.) Suddenly my mind flashed from Kate Remembered to Brownies Remembered. I had Kate’s Brownie recipe! I had found it and cut it out of a magazine years earlier. I had made it hundreds of times but like all recipes, maybe due to a change of lifestyle or a vow to lose weight, the recipe had been tucked back into one of my cooking notebooks – somehow put aside. How could this be? The BEST Brownies I had ever eaten and I had forgotten them? There were times when I had been known to devour several of them for breakfast in lieu of corn flakes.
I dug through my Desserts notebook. Voila, I now had Kate Hepburn’s recipe in my hand. No more Katherine or Ms. Hepburn for me. When you’ve eaten as many of these sensational brownies as I have you feel you know her on a personal level.
Visits to Maine were always filled full of adventure and deliciousness. We explored, lazed around, shopped, picked blueberries – and made pies – and because we were in Maine ate lobster like there was no tomorrow. Visits to the lake house were special for another reason – JOHN COOKED! Things like Lipton Soup Pot Roast and Mashed Potatoes, Sour Dough Pancakes and Bacon, and home made bread. It was down home, rib stickin’ country fare! Life couldn’t get any better than that.
I had a bright idea! I’d put the Brownie recipe and the critical ingredients, the chocolate and the nuts, in a Zip-loc bag (just in case they weren’t on hand at the cottage) and take them with me to Maine. Could I smuggle walnuts and chocolate squares across the country in my carryon? Of course I could.
One night when the summer neighbors would come over for ice cream I’d surprise everyone with a mouth watering, chocolatey, warm and crunchy pan of Brownies. I’d wow the crowd, saying “This is Katherine Hepburn’s personal recipe you know.” Will they be impressed with my name dropping? Probably not, but they’ll love the brownies.
P.S. I baked the Brownies. I wowed the summer crowd and I would have had Brownies for breakfast but, alas, when I went to the kitchen the next morning the pan was empty. It was even crumbless.
Back home, having been reacquainted with Kate’s Brownies, I baked. The next morning I had A Two Brownie Breakfast. It was yummy.
KATE HEPBURN’S BROWNIES
This recipe is so simple and delicious. It is rich, fudgy, chewy-soft and packed with walnuts. When you can make Brownies this good, this fudgy and this easily from scratch why would you ever use a box mix. This recipe tops every box mix on the planet, no question about it!
Here’s the recipe
- 1 stick (1/4 pound) butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 tsp. salt
In a pyrex bowl melt the butter and chocolate squares in the microwave, one minute at a time until just melted. Let cool for a couple minutes. Stir in the sugar, salt and eggs. Mix well. Add the flour and vanilla. Mix. Stir in the walnuts.
Bake in a buttered and floured 8 inch square pan at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes.
Eat the whole pan full and pretend you’re Katherine Hepburn! Not really. If you do you’ll be as sick as a dog. They’re rich!
Enjoy!