Happy Groundhog Day (again), dear readers! Doesn’t everyday feel like a Monday during this quarantine?

This whole #StayHome order has turned me in to one busy cook/baker! I’ve been remaking old favorites and trying tons of new recipes. And one of the most delicious that I’ve come across - and tweaked to my own liking - is this sexy little number that I found while scouring the web: Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies. If you love a good flourless chocolate cake, then this one is for you! Not that these brownies are flourless, per se, but the amount that’s called for in the recipe is so scant, that it truly lends to that ooey, gooey bite and almost pudding-like ‘mouth feel.’ You dig?

Here’s how I made this dessert more of my own:

• I made sure to note the use of salted butter.

• I added espresso powder (you can use instant coffee powder or granules), which gives the chocolate much more depth in flavor.

• Since I’m not a big fan of crunching in to nuts in my cookies or brownies, I nixed those from the recipe entirely.

• I lightly sprinkle my completed batch with a dusting of Maldon salt flakes for the ultimate ‘savory’ finish.

*Must-have items on-hand: 

• Small saucepan

• Mixing bowl

• Cooking spray with flour (such as Pam)

• 8x8” square pan

Ingredients

(Makes 9 large brownies or 12 smaller brownies)

• ½ cup salted butter (1 stick)

• ½ cup cocoa 

• Optional: 1 teaspoon espresso powder (This is a secret ingredient that truly brings out the intense flavor of the chocolate. I realize that most people don’t just have this on-hand. HOWEVER, you can substitute it with instant coffee powder or granules!) 

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 cup sugar

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• Pinch of salt

• Optional: Maldon salt flakes

Method

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Melt butter in saucepan with cocoa and optional espresso powder and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt. Add to the cocoa-butter mixture and stir until just combined.

4. Pour into a greased 8 x 8-inch-square pan. Bake 33 minutes in the middle rack of the oven. Do not over-bake; the brownies should be gooey.

5. Let these guys cool before you cut in to them! They are super gooey and moist, and aren’t the easiest to slice when hot/warm. *Optional: When ready to serve, sprinkle each serving a light dusting of Maldon salt flakes.

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle