Today was meant to be a relaxing, check-things-off-my-to-do-list type of day, but just like everything else in life, things don’t always go as you planned. Instead, I had a really shitty day, the kind of day that’s born out of the depths of hell, the kind that can alter your life and you just don’t know it yet.

In an effort to stay sane and not have an uncontrollable crying session, I’ve decided writing in here is the next best thing. Writing always saves me. Always. And because I had this draft sitting around for a while, I thought I’d get a move on it.

A few months ago I was enamored by the fabulous food porn I had found on TasteSpotting and FoodGawker. I must have clicked through dozens and dozens of pages before I looked up to breathe again. In the midst of amazing pasta dishes, fruit pies and concoctions that made me want to jump through my computer screen and start munching away, I found an interesting recipe I had never heard of before: Katharine Hepburn Brownies.

Apparently, gossip columnist Liz Smith got the recipe from Ms. Hepburn to publish in her column some 25 odd years ago, and thank God she did because it is a damn good recipe and probably the most moist and chewy brownies I’ve made – not that I’ve made many – this is probably about my third attempt that spans the whole of my baking, so I’m no brownie expert, but it doesn’t take one to see why this recipe is reveled around the foodosphere.

Even though I don’t have brownies at the moment or any plans to make them soon, just posting about their goodness is making me feel better already. This is one of the instances where I feel I need to turn to a private, hand-written space to discuss all that has upset me and essentially sort of damaged what was meant to be a fabulous 3-day weekend. Maybe I’ll have the guts to write it here one day, as soon as I organize my thoughts.

The recipe can be found on the blog that I drew inspiration from, Surviving Oz.  The recipe there is probably better than the others you will find. But just for fun, here are Ms. Hepburns original instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325 F.
Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.
In a heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate with the butter over low heat, stirring until completely melted.
Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar.
Add the eggs and vanilla and “beat it all like mad”.
Stir in the flour, salt and walnuts and mix well.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes.
“Take it out; let it cool; cut into squares and go crazy.”