(my favorite) fudgy brownies

I’ve been making these brownies for as long as I can remember.  And they are truly fabulous.  Seriously yummy, fudgy and wet.  The recipe has been written up many times – always titled Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies.  Hard to believe, but I find the original recipe too sweet (I think because I add so many chocolate chips to the batter).  When I bake these, I generally  multiply the recipe by four.  I fill a (parchment lined) half sheet pan with the batter and once cool, I wrap and freeze the whole sheet.  I cut and serve as needed throughout the month.  The recipe below is for one 8 inch square pan – but I’ve cooked them in 9 inch rounds as well.  Just watch the baking time.  You can also double the recipe for a thicker brownie as these come out fairly thin.  And of course again, adjust the baking time.

favorite fudge brownies (adapted from Katherine Hepburn’s Brownie Recipe)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
chocolate chips to taste (I go heavy)
chopped walnuts to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line the pan with foil so that it comes up the sides of the pan.  If you need two sheets, go for it.

Melt butter and chocolate in a medium-sized metal bowl over a pot with (about) an inch of simmering water.  Remove bowl from heat when melted and add the sugar.  Mix eggs with vanilla and add to the butter mixture.  Mix well.  Gently stir in the flour, salt and chocolate chips (and nuts if using) and mix until just incorporated.  Do not over mix.  Spread into pan and bake.  I don’t have a set time here – the key is to bake these until they are just cooked.  Set the time for 30 minutes, but then check every 5-7 minutes thereafter.  They should take about 35-40 minutes, but it really can change each time.  People often tell me that my desserts are good and I do think that half the battle is to not over bake.

Once cooked and cool – pull the foil (with brownies inside) out of the pan with two hands.  Then you can easily cut and serve.  Of course, you can just stick a spoon in there and start to eat when hot and warm out of the oven.  (OK, sometimes I do this.)These are fudgy and rich – and although I do like them with ice cream, they are really  great on their own.

nutella-swirl pound cake

Daniel, my nephew,  loves Nutella.  His eyes light up when he sees that jar.  So when I saw a write-up for a new cookbook that featured Nutella-Swirl Pound Cake, I knew I had to make it for him!   I decided to double the recipe so I could keep one and also give one  to Gilda’s club – a charity that I often bake for.  My family really enjoyed  the cake.  For me –  a warm toasted slice was heaven.  I should have swirled the batter a bit more – I think the result would have been even better.  Sadly Daniel didn’t even get to try the cake – but for his next visit I’ll be ready — Nutella jar in hand!

This recipe was adapted from Lauren Chattman’s new cookbook – Cake Keeper Cakes.  She suggests serving this with coffee ice cream.  And I think sliced and toasted with vanilla ice cream is also a winner.

nutella swirl pound cake (adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)
1 1/2  cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs – room temperature
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
one 13 oz. jar Nutella

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan or a bundt pan.  Mix the eggs with the vanilla.  In a medium bowl whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt.

Beat the butter with the sugar at medium high speed until lighter and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.  Lower the mixer speed to medium and gradually beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated and can’t see the egg anymore.  Add the flour in 2 batches, beating at low speed between additions until just incorporated.

Spread about one- third of the batter in the pan, then spread half of the Nutella on top.  Repeat with another third of the batter and the remaining Nutella.  Top with remaining batter.  Swirl the Nutella into the batter with a knife.  Do not over-mix.

Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes but check before that –  and keep checking so as not to over bake.  I rarely use the baking time listed.  I use it only as a guide.  Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack.  Invert and let cool.  Enjoy.