August 30, 2009 7 comments

Tribute-to-Katharine-Hepburn Brownie Bites

Brownie bites generally fall into one of two categories: (1) dry and cakey or (2) fudgy and mushy.  Bleh.  Rarely do you come across a brownie bite that manages to retain all the best elements of the brownie’s larger, full-sized self: a crisp outer crust with a warm, gooey center.  When I set about finding a recipe that would live up to this dream, I went straight for the Big Book.

Having read some mixed reviews of the actual recipe for brownie bites, I decided to experiment with the infamous Tribute-to-Katharine-Hepburn Brownies.  The story has it that Katharine Hepburn’s rules to live by were (1) Never quit; (2) Be yourself; and (3) Never put too much flour in your brownies.  Well, ok then.  If it works for Katharine Hepburn, then it’s good enough for me!

The word intense isn’t enough to describe the experience of biting into one of these tiny morsels.  Crisp all the way around, chunks of walnuts, gooey chocolate, and a slight hint of coffee.  These brownie bites defy categorization and somehow manage to perfectly translate into a party-sized serving.  They will disappear by the handful.  You’ll want to make a double batch of these.  Trust me.

Tribute-to-Katharine Hepburn Brownie Bites

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients-

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons finely ground instant coffee
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions-

- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a mini-muffin tin, set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- Using a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, sift the cocoa powder over the butter and stir to combine.
- Add the instant coffee. Continue stirring until smooth and the butter is completely melted.
- Remove from heat and let sit at least 3 minutes, or until partially cooled.
- Using a whisk or rubber spatula, mix the eggs, one at a time, into the butter/cocoa mixture. Add vanilla and stir.
- Stir in the sugar. Stir in the dry ingredients. Stir in the nuts and chopped chocolate.
- Using two spoons, scoop the batter into the prepared mini-muffin tin.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until a dry, papery crust forms on the top but the brownies are still gooey. Let cool. Transfer to a wire rack. Attempt to wait until they are cool before devouring.

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours

Desserts & Sweets

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