Slicing Perfect Squares and Bars

Appears in

Published 2011

Here are some tips for slicing your squares and bars easily, with precision, and with a minimal amount of waste:

Line your baking pan with parchment paper so that it comes up the sides of the pan. Once your recipe has set, you can lift out the squares or bars as a whole onto a cutting board so that slicing evenly is simple, and you won’t scratch your pan.
Use a ruler to mark where you want to slice by notching at equal intervals along each of the four edges of the baked item.
Use a chef’s knife to line up the measured markings and make a clean slice.
If cutting squares or bars of a recipe that is topped with chocolate or has a dense filling, insert your knife into a pitcher of hot tap water for a minute. Dry off the knife and let the heat do the work of softening the square or bar, allowing you to cut clean slices and not crack the chocolate top.
If you wish to dust your squares or bars with icing sugar for garnish, slice them first, then dust them. (But note that icing sugar melts when it is refrigerated)

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