Kitchen Tip: Lining Pans with Parchment

Parchment is a baker’s best friend! It has so many great uses, but I thought I’d show you one of my favorites here: How to line a baking pan with parchment. Now, you might be thinking…why would I want to do that? It’s great when you need to lift the entire whatever it is your baking, in this case – brownies, out of the pan intact.

It’s also great if the pan is vintage (like this one) and you’re not sure if you should be baking on it. The inside has a bit of rust, but it’s a super pretty presentation. There are probably other reasons, but those are the situations I find myself in most often. So here we go…

How to Line a Baking Pan with Parchment:

First, roll out your parchment paper. Place the pan on top and cut out a square (or rectangle…obviously a circle would have a different method) that is about 2 inches larger all around the edges.

Next, cut a two inch slit on each of the four edges of the parchment. This will help the parchment fold neatly inside the pan. I think it helps with the end result of what you’re baking actually maintain neater edges.

Bake per your recipe instructions and then let your final results cool if need be. Then, you can either cut a piece or two out of the pan (look – no sticking!) or lift the entire mass out at once. It’s great to be able to lift it out all at once if you need to cut everything in perfectly even servings, or want to do something like cut with cookie cutters. Viola! Works for me!