baked brownies in pan on cooling rack

When baking anything in a square, rectangle or loaf pan (think brownies, bars, breads, etc.) line it with parchment paper so there’s a few inches of overhang on either side. Not only will this prevent sticking, but you can use the overhanging parchment as a sling to easily lift your goodies out of the pan for slicing.

Let breads cool only for a few minutes before transferring them out of the pan to a wire rack to cool completely, but let other desserts cool completely so they’re sturdy enough to lift without buckling. Then transfer to a cutting board and slice. No more messing up a slice trying to dig it out of the pan!