I made a batch of these to take on a camping trip but they were rubbish. It was my fault entirely as being someone who hates to waste food, I deviated from the recipe and recycled some melted chocolate truffles instead of using plain dark chocolate. Cathy bought me some very posh truffles from Waitrose and look what happened to them in the steamy heat of a summer’s day.
I guess the truffles had extra sugar in them, and that made the brownies super sweet and a bit grainy. They looked good though!
Katharine would not have been happy about my adaptation, she was very particular about her recipe. You can find it all around the internet in various incarnations but this one looks fairly true to the original if you fancy having a go. I’ll make another batch and not muck around with the recipe next time.
Camping was bloody brilliant. Mr R is not fond of sleeping under canvas but when we found out there was an option of rocking up on the train without sleeping bags and having a proper bed in a gypsy caravan we were up for it. The bed was short and Mr R is tall but we managed fine.
Here I am with a Katharine Hepburn Brownie in hand in my specially bought item of camping clothing. Wellingtons and sweat pants? Pah! I’m sure Katharine would agree.
I love your camping gear. It must have been amazing in the traditional caravan armed with your brownies, I bet you had a great time. GG
It really was fun. Highly recommended for those who like to sit around a campfire eating hot marshmallows but prefer to retire to a bed rather than the cold hard ground!
You’ve taken ‘glam’ping to a whole new level here.
Tee hee! My flat is effectively a walk in wardrobe so there is something inappropriate to wear for almost any occasion. I bought this outfit specially though!
The caravan is adorable! I’ve never been camping. Did go to Camp Fire camp (just day camp) once. It was a total disaster. I would cry every morning and beg my parents not to take me. One day my parents both had early meetings and my grandfather had to drop me off at camp that morning. My mother scolded me for something like “scarring your grandfather with your crying.” Paul’s an Eagle Scout but told me the other day he no longer has any interest in going camping (I knew I just had to wait him out!). I think renting cottages from the National Trust is enough “roughing it” for us.
I’ve actually been meaning to post about Katharine Hepburn brownies. I got my recipe from Saveur magazine (http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Katharine-Hepburns-Brownies) and replace the white flour with sprouted whole wheat which, of course, makes brownies “healthy.”
Ha ha – “healthy” brownies! Brilliant. I might try your version…
Love your camping stories. Camping and caravaning was very much part of my childhood – my parents had some raucous friends called Marie and Jim who had a caravan in Derbyshire and the two families would go there together once a year. I remember sitting in the caravan with the rain pouring down outside listening to songs on my battery driven cassette player. I liked it when it was too wet for us to go out so I could stay in and read. The caravan had little gas lights which I loved. I mostly hated going on the long walks around the beautiful countryside, but in that way kids do, moaning and groaning about it one minute and frolicking in the heather the next.
My Auntie Marie had a great catch-phrase, she had a booming posh voice and when we kids would complain about something she’d just shout, ‘Hard Cheese Old Bean!” and laugh like a drain.
My favourite bit about camping is when you wake up in the morning and unzip the tent flap and look outside to see what the weather is like. In England, often pants, but sometimes, lovely sunshine evaporating all the dew…