Katharine Hepburn's Brilliant Trick for the Best Brownies

Less flour and more cocoa powder deliver a fudgy texture and rich chocolate flavor.

And boy, was I right.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

So what makes these brownies 11,000-five-star-ratings good?

Headshot of Katharine Hepburn next to a stack of dark chocolate brownies studded with walnuts

Simply Recipes / Getty Images / Devan Grimsrud

Simply Recipes / Devan Grimsrud

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Add 1/2 cup (eight tablespoons or one stick) unsalted butter to a saucepan over medium heat.

Crack one egg into the cocoa-butter mixture and whisk well to combine.

Four dark chocolate brownies on a white plate with a blue grid design

Simply Recipes / Devan Grimsrud

Fold in the dry ingredients and 1 cup of roughly chopped, toasted walnuts.

Pour the batter into your greased and lined pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes.

A stack of dark chocolate brownies studded with walnuts on a small ceramic plate

Simply Recipes / Devan Grimsrud

Let cool completely at room temperature before slicing and serving.

Defrost frozen brownies overnight in the fridge or on the counter before serving.