Katharine Hepburn's Brownies

I am a big fan of Katharine Hepburn, and have been since the first time I laid eyes on her in “Desk Set,” a movie that I watch every holiday season in the same way that others watch “It's a Wonderful Life.” I loved her independence, feistiness, and that she had a strong opinion on every subject, and voiced it! Her observation about men and women, “Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then.” was spot on. She was terse, succinct, and no-nonsense, which was why, when I found her brownie recipe, I had to try it. It is an easy one, made with relatively few ingredients, and a simple pot and spoon, yielding no muss, no fuss deliciousness. Despite the fact that I do make brownies, I've never been a particular fan, until now. Leave it to Hepburn to get these right as well. They are dense, chewy, chocolaty, perfection. The recipe runs rampant on the Internet. I found this one on epicurious.com, and adapted it slightly to reflect the sad fact that Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate squares are no longer one ounce. For shame!

Katharine Hepburn's Brownies

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan; set aside.

Melt butter and chocolate together until smooth; remove from heat. Stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Stir in flour and salt. (In the original recipe, 1 cup chopped walnuts is added here as well.)

Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes.

You can dust these with powdered sugar, if you like. I just left mine as is, they didn't last long anyway.

This post is linked to:

Celebrate It Sunday

Munching Mondays
Busy Mondays
Brag About It
Create Link Inspire

Inspire Me Tuesday

Tuesdays At Our Home

Tweak it Tuesday

Chocolate Scotcheroos

These are Chocolate Scotcheroos.  My aunt made them for my sons and me, and delivered them last week when we all met at my dad's for lunch.  Now, you are probably saying to yourself, what is so special about Scotcheroos? It's an old recipe that has been around for ages.  Well, in addition to their chewy deliciousness, I'll tell you why they are so special. To all of us, these represent love, stability, family, hope, and caring. A tall order for a simple bar cookie made out of cereal, but it's true.

In 2000 I had some scary health issues. My boys were young, and I tried to keep things as normal as possible to avoid worrying them. But sometimes, when in an exhausted and fearful state, it's hard to be normal. My boys grew up with homemade cookies once a week. I wanted them to know what a homemade cookie was, how they were created, and where they came from. But during this time I was too tired to make cookies. I also wasn't the type to ask for or accept help. Ever. My aunt wanted to help, and the only way she saw that she could, was to step into the role of cookie maker, so every week she would come by the house for a visit and cookie drop.  These were one of the boys' favorites.

When she came across the old recipe last week, she decided to make them again, and bring us a pan full. I may not see either of my sons for weeks at a time, but say the word, “cookie” and they'll be by within the hour. I portioned them out so that we all got some. I'm sure each of us had different memories of this cookie, but for me these will always represent love and caring during a hard time. But they're tasty during good times, too!

Chocolate Scotcheroos

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter

6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Place corn syrup and sugar into 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Mix well. Add cereal. Stir until well coated. Press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.

Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Let stand until firm. Cut into 2 x 1-inch bars when cool.

Note: Before measuring the corn syrup, coat your measuring cup with cooking spray--the syrup will pour easily out of the cup.

This post is linked to:

Sweets for a Saturday

Lemon Pie Bars

Question:  How do you make an entire room full of people fall in love with you?

Answer:  Show up with a tray full of these delicious Lemon Pie Bars from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook.  It works.  Guaranteed!

I have a lot of cookbooks, so these days I check them out from the library before making a purchase.  This book got to me.  Unfortunately it got to a lot of other people as well; I’d have to keep turning it back in because some scoundrel kept putting it on reserve!  This “back-and-forthing” (and grumbling and muttering) went on for four times while my husband sat on the sidelines, a bemused look on his pastry-covered face.  A week after I reserved it for the fifth time, a box from Amazon showed up at the door, inside was this book and SprinkleBakes, a gift from my husband.  What a guy!  If you haven’t gotten this book yet, do it now.  Go ahead, click through and buy it, I’ll wait.  You will not be sorry, you’ll be in awe.  One recipe is better than the next, and my goal is to try them all.

This is the perfect summer dessert, cool and refreshing on a hot day, the zing of citrus certain to perk you up despite crushing humidity.

Lemon Pie Bars

For the crust

3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 24 crackers)
12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons sugar

For the filling

1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 cup fresh lemon juice
Two 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk
6 large egg yolks

Fresh Whipped Cream (optional)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350° F.  Grease a 9 X 13 inch baking pan and line with parchment, allowing the ends of the paper to hang over two opposite edges of the pan.

To make the crust:  In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar and blend with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened.  Press the graham cracker mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Use a piece of parchment to press on the crust with the palm of your hands to make sure it is completely level.

Bake the crust for about 8 minutes, until lightly golden.  Let cool completely before adding the filling. Turn the oven temperature down to 325° F.

To make the filling:  In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, sweetened condensed milk,  and egg yolks.  Pour the filling over the cooled crust.

Place the baking pan inside a larger baking pan and pour enough hot water into the larger pan to come halfway up the sides of the smaller pan.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is puffed at the edges and no longer jiggles in the center when the pan is tapped.  Remove the pan from the water bath and set it on a rack to cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate until cold.

Cut the bars into squares and serve chilled, with the whipped cream.  The bars will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To make fresh whipped cream:

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar

Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the cream on medium until it starts to thicken.  Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until the cream holds nice soft peaks.

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

What's Cooking Wednesday

Foodie Friday

Sweets for a Saturday

Sunday's Best Party