One Pro Trick to Keep Baked Goods From Sticking
Pro Baking Trick: Parchment Paper
Count the number of times you’ve had to cut brownies, blondies, cookies, or lemon bars out of a pan. It’s a universal conundrum that has plagued all bakers at one point or another. Well, let us preach the gospel of parchment paper: May all your confections be easily removed.
Parchment paper is a grease- and moisture-resistant paper specially treated for oven use. It is very versatile — use it to line cake molds and baking sheets, to wrap fish and other dishes that are cooked en papillote, and to cover countertops during messy tasks to make cleanup easy. If you’re sifting or grating a small amount of an ingredient, you can let it fall onto the paper, then pick up the paper and pour it into a dish.
See More: Quick, One-Pot Meal Ideas To Feed the Whole Family
To use it to line square or rectangular baking pans, simply cut two sheets of parchment paper the same width as the pan (or even a little shorter), in a length that’s a little longer than the pan, including the sides. Fold each sheet in half. Place one sheet in the well-greased pan, laying the crease in the middle of the pan and smoothing out any wrinkles, making sure to guide each end of the parchment up the side of the pan. Brush that layer with butter, then place the second sheet on top of the first one, going the opposite direction so that the other two sides of the pan are covered. Fold over the “ears” of the paper on all sides of the pan, then re-grease.
Add your batter, bake, cool, gently remove those chocolaty brownies from the pan by pulling up on the folded-over excess parchment paper, and enjoy!
Pro tip: Use binder clips to hold down the excess parchment paper hanging off the sides. This will ensure that the parchment won’t flop down onto the surface of the brownies.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon best-quality cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light-brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (4 1/2 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, optional
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan. Line with parchment paper and butter parchment.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside
3. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine butter and espresso powder. Place over low heat and stir until butter has melted. Add chocolate, and stir constantly until mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in both sugars until well combined.
4. Add eggs and vanilla and continue stirring until well incorporated and mixture no longer appears grainy. Sift flour mixture over batter, and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips, if using.
5. Pour batter into prepared baking pan; smooth top with the back of a wooden spoon or a spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 28 to 30 minutes. Be sure not to overbake. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into 9 brownies.
More from Martha Stewart:
15 Kitchen Shortcuts That Will Change the Way You Cook
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No-Mess One-Bowl Desserts: 12 Recipes for Lazy Bakers
