Katharine Hepburn Brownies

We have a favorite brownie recipe in my family. They are special not just because they are the most delicious, melt-in-your-mouth brownies we've ever encountered, but because the recipe comes from Katharine Hepburn, the Katharine Hepburn.

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My mom discovered the recipe in a fantastic book of New York recipes a few years ago. We were wowed by not only the incredible flavor in these brownies but also the ease of making them. They're made on the stovetop, require only one pot and one pan, and call for ingredients that you likely have in your pantry. And there's something just so indulgent and fun about making brownies from the recipe of a sophisticated, gorgeous old-fashioned movie star such as Katharine Hepburn, don't you think?

I shared the recipe with my mother-in-law a few years ago and it has become her favorite brownie recipe too. She's so sweet--she usually emails me or texts me when she's making them, just to let me know that they're having "Kate Brownies," as she calls them (she means "Kate" as in me, but how perfect that there's a double meaning! After all, Katharine often went by Kate).

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I think Katharine Hepburn became more beautiful as she aged. Here she is in Golden Pond (which is a beautiful movie) and she's so radiant. I'm reminded of an essay I just read a few days ago in the book, Wing to Wing, Oar to Oar. It's by Kierkegaard and the excerpt is called "Lasting Love." He writes, "As a bride, woman is more beautiful than as a maiden; as a mother she is more beautiful than as a bride; as a wife and mother she is a good word in season, and with the years she becomes more beautiful."

These brownies would make a perfect Valentine's Day treat for your loved ones. I urge you to try them--and maybe pop in an old Katharine Hepburn movie while you're nibbling!