Cutting Bar Cookies and Brownies into Perfect Squares

We've got two tricks to avoid unevenly-cut bar cookies and brownies.

There are two tricks for cutting perfect squares. First, get the food out of the pan before you start cutting. We’ve found that lining the pan with a foil sling before baking allows us to easily lift cooled bar cookies from the pan. Then it’s easier to trim the edges and cut the cookies into squares. To make a sling, fold two long sheets of aluminum foil lengthwise so that they are as wide as the baking pan. Lay the sheets of foil in the pan, perpendicular to each other, with the extra hanging over the edges of the pan. Press the foil into the corners and up the sides of the pan and spray with vegetable spray before pouring in the batter or patting in the crust. Second, if it’s really important that your squares be precise, don't just eyeball them before cutting, use a ruler.

THE BOTTOM LINE : Measuring a pan of baked goods so that you can cut it into perfect squares is easier once it's out of the pan. Use a foil sling to lift it out.