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Tuesday, July 7, 2009

TWD: Tribute to Katharine Hepburn Brownies


I'm always excited when the recipe for the week involves chocolate, but when it comes in the form of a brownie - well, then I'm ecstatic!

My thanks go out to Lisa of Surviving Oz, winner of the logo contest and friend of our very own Jaime at Good Eats & Sweet Treats, chose this week's recipe - the Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownies. My thanks also especially go out to Dorie for including them in the book in the first place! These are just our kind of brownies - when we want one with stuff in it that is. If I am going for a just chocolate brownies, I will probably still turn to the ones from Baked.

The brownies which Dorie dubbed a tribute to Katharine Hepburn are a version of a recipe she tweaked. I did a Google Search for Katherine Hepburn brownies and got over 9,000 results. Safe to say there are probably many, many versions of the recipe that she was reported to have used out there already. Now this week, there will be several more variations from the other TWD Bakers!


Thank you Katharine for making pants stylish!

Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get -
only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything.

Katharine Hepburn



My take on these brownies was to undo a few of Dorie's tweaks - really just personal preference because I'm sure that the addition of the coffee and cinnamon are lovely. When I was making the brownies I left the coffee out because we just don't use it, and the cinnamon because I didn't feel like it. I also realized that I was short on chocolate to put in the brownies so I subbed toffee chips.

So, the low down on my brownies was cocoa, butter, sugar, eggs, a bit of flour, etc. + walnuts, chocolate and toffee chips as my mix-ins. They were a breeze to make and bake for me. I baked them the allotted amount of time with no problems and did bake them in a metal pan that I lined with a parchment sling. I allowed them to cool for probably about 45 minutes before ever trying to cut them. They were nicely fudgey and moist, but not gooey as some others experienced. All in all, I really enjoyed these - especially the ease of making them, and the fact that I wasn't faced with a huge batch - just a little 8x8 square pan's worth - and I know I will be making these again.

After recently reading up on high altitude baking (due to some terribly spreading chocolate chip cookies) I've started to realize that in some situations the recipe and directions may just not coincide with where I/you/we all live and really be no fault of the recipe at all.

Case in point, the recipe for the chocolate chip cookies that basically melted on me, was from the Baked book - assuming that the recipe was created at the Baked shop in the Red Hook area in NY - as well as the main three places I think Dorie probably created and tested her recipes - Paris, New York and Connecticut which are all basically at Sea Level (or less than 100ft elevation) and I am at roughly 4,300ft and it becomes fairly obvious that there can be quite a discrepancy there. It was actually just this past week (yes, after living in Utah for almost 12 years) that in a conversation on Twitter with another local food blogger, Barbara at Barbara Bakes, that she pointed out that perhaps this was my problem. I am a bit chagrined to admit, that because I moved down a couple thousand feet, I just never gave it much thought and haven't adjusted for high altitude in years most of the time. Usually, things have turned out fine, but I think I'm really on to something now about those things that have been going awry on me. Thanks Barbara!

So, I suggest if you have problems, and perhaps like me, thought that maybe you didn't need to worry about high altitude baking (seriously, I thought for a while that for the most part I was in the clear - after all, I used to live at almost 7,000ft - you might want to review this information on the King Arthur Flour website and see if any of it helps when a recipe gives you trouble.


32 comments:

Barbara Bakes said...

Thanks for the King Arthur link and the shout out. I have to admit that I have had problems with cakes and brownies in the past and relied on mixes rather then try and solve a problem with a recipe. Love the melting chocolate in the picture!

Marthe said...

Yummy brownies! Love your new header btw

Isabelle said...

These look perfect! Beautiful pictures. They are so delicious!

Leslie said...

Perfect brownies! The toffee chips sound delicious in these, although we did enjoy them with the coffee and cinnamon, too.

Frieda Loves Bread said...

I saw a box mix of brownies for .99 the other day and was tempted to buy them...I'm glad I didn't, because we can make our own!
I have also found high altitude baking to be slightly different. For my cookies, I have added just a little bit more flour and then let them set on the baking sheet to finish cooking the centers.

Teanna DiMicco said...

The KA Flour website is such a fantastic baking tool! The brownies look delicious!

chocolatechic said...

They look fabulous.

I didn't add coffee either, but instead cappuccino chips.

Soy*Baby said...

Those look fantastic. I want to eat one. I love the oozy chocolate and I bet the toffee bits were wonderful.

Kayte said...

Wow...those look like really decadent brownies...such great photography going on here always. I love the idea of toffee chips in anything. Or just by themselves!

Anonymous said...

Your brownies look wonderful! They were really tasty.

Manggy said...

Sorry, I couldn't concentrate on the altitude chat because I was just blinded by the oozy decadence of the brownies! ;) I know you are a chocolate fiend, but when it comes to brownies, I'm a chocolate *monster* :D

Unknown said...

Your brownie photos are literally making my mouth water!

Sarah said...

Oh my goodness, that is a plate of chocolate gooey goodness!!! I thought these were great brownies, and I'll be making them again, too - especially because they were so fast to put together.

steph- whisk/spoon said...

wow, these look intense! yum yum!

Jules Someone said...

Those look just amazing! I love the contrast between the brownie and the nuts.

Snooky doodle said...

oh these look delicious! So chocolaty and fudgey . so good!

Nichicakes said...

Toffee chips sound delicious!

Anonymous said...

Ooo, I will definitely have to make these again with toffee chips. That sounds amazing!!

Carol Peterman/TableFare said...

I loved these too, and I bet you addition of toffee chips was great. Mine weren't gooey either, just nice and fudgy. I would imagine the altitude would be an issue for you with certain recipes. Now I have one more good reason to like living in Seattle, baking is easier at sea level!

Tammy said...

I loved these brownies too - they look great and fudgey!

vibi said...

BOY! Those are the most chewey, gooey looking brownies I've seen! Nice!

Katiecakes said...

Look how fudgy and decadent your brownies look! I feel like I need one to carry on living!!

Katie xox

Pamela said...

Those are some luscious looking brownies!

Anonymous said...

These look amazing! So gooey!

Hindy said...

Your brownies looks so inviting! We loved this recipe and are making it again today.
Glad you enjoyed.

AmyRuth said...

Whoa Holly, who needs supper when you can have one of those? Not me, I would much rather have the oh so nutrious KH brownies. hehe Those are amazing, all glistening and happy. I'll have two!
AmyRuth

Unknown said...

Oh wow, your brownies look so fudgy and rich! These were actually a bit too fudgy for me but everyone else who tried them loved them!

Anonymous said...

Holy Cow! Your brownies look sensational! It looks totally 3-D which is so frustrating because I'd love a piece right now! How'd you do it?
I love the new animated picture of you too! =)

TeaLady said...

Those look incredible. Wow!!

Fit Chick said...

Toffee chips sound so good; thanks for the link for the other brownie recipe!

Di said...

Those look delicious! I had to laugh at your comments on the high altitude baking. I lived in Boulder, CO (about 5500 ft), and it definitely took some getting used to. And then I had to switch back when we moved to Austin.

Sabine Rogers said...

These brownies look delicious! I'm definitely going to try them with your addition of walnuts, it sounds really good.

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