Elizabeth Taylor’s Favorite Brownie Recipe

I have a small refrigerator in my office (a Mother’s Day gift from my kids a few years back) where I keep my stash of sparkling waters and diet sodas, far from my family’s snatching fingers. I’ve always thought it was a pretty smart idea, but the news recently came across my desk that Elizabeth Taylor kept something yummier in her bedroom mini fridge.

Neil Zevnika private chef who worked for Taylor for nearly 20 years before she died in 2011, says the iconic actor and activist kept her bedside mini fridge stocked with a very special sweet treat, “should she need it in the middle of the night.” The baked good in question? Zevnik’s own recipe for a brownie-meets-fudge-style confection called Toffee Fudgies.

“Everybody sort of loves them,” Zevnik tells EatingWell. “That’s kind of my signature thing, which is odd for me because my general thing in terms of food is healthy, farm-to-table, organic sort of stuff. But the Toffee Fudgies, I honestly don’t remember where the original recipe was. I have tweaked it a lot over the years but it’s basically a midway between fudge and a brownie and it has little bits of toffee all through it.”

If you’re a fan of a sweet treat with a crisp top and a moist chocolate base, this treat might just be for you. And as Zevik explains, the fudgies make an especially great late night snack when you really want something sweet.

“[Taylor] had a little tiny refrigerator under one of the nightstands by her bed and she always had to have a small container of Toffee Fudgies in there,” he continued. “I’d check it every once and a while and restock when she was low. They keep very well in the refrigerator, I must say, though they’re best eaten at room temperature, as with all chocolate.”

Zevnik shared the recipe only with close friends and family members for years, but he’s sharing it publicly now to raise awareness for Taylor’s foundation, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. “I thought, I’d love to share it when it accomplishes something and when it helps with something,” he explains.

Cooking for Taylor for nearly two decades, Zevnik says he learned she “wasn’t a big sweets eater,” and was, “discerning in her sweets.” Still, Toffee Fudgies were the National Velvet star’s exception.

“You never know,” says Zevnik. “a little bite of chocolate couldn’t hurt.” That logic makes sense to us, especially since chocolate, when consumed in moderation, can have some health benefits. And while these fudgies might not be the healthiest dessert option around, we believe that any foods can fit into a healthy eating pattern when eaten in moderation. So grab your apron and your favorite brownie pan—these fudgies aren’t going to make themselves.

How to Make Toffee Fudgies

Ingredients

• 10 ounces semisweet and bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups cake flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 bag toffee bits
• 5 large eggs
• 2 cups superfine granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon chocolate extract (optional)

Directions

Start by preheating your oven to 325°F, then spray the inside of a 9-by-13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. (Zevnik recommends the butter variety.)

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler, stirring until smooth, then allow it to cool slightly. Whisk the cake flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl, then stir in the toffee bits.

Whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract and chocolate extract (if using) together in a medium mixing bowl until blended. Pour about one-quarter of the chocolate and butter mixture into the egg mixture, whisking as you do, then pour the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture and mix until well-blended.

Pour the egg and chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until the dry ingredients are just incorporated, then scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake the Toffee Fudgies for about 30 minutes. The center will be soft, but not liquid, and the edges will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Allow the treats to cool, then refrigerate for at least two hours, preferably overnight.

Zevnik says to cut the dessert into small rectangles that are about 1 to 2 inches in size, noting that they’re very rich. Store the Toffee Fudgies in a fridge (mini or otherwise) and eat them at room temperature. They’ll keep for a week or so in the fridge, according to Zevnik.

So what does Zevnik think makes his Toffee Fudgies so delicious that they were Elizabeth Taylor’s go-to late-night dessert? “They’re just the ultimate comfort,” he says. “They’re a little chewy and a little creamy, they’re richer and denser than a brownie, but they’re not as heavy as fudge. They’re a nice balance for chocolate lovers.”

If you identify as a chocolate lover yourself, this recipe might make the ideal addition to your holiday lineup. In fact, we recommend pairing it with recipes like our Cinnamon Roll Cookies and Raspberry-Lemon Crinkle Cookies if you want to be the star of your next holiday potluck or just crush the competition at a cookie exchange. Just be sure you bring enough for everyone to have a taste.