Yes, lining a pan with foil seems simple enough, but I have a few tips for how and why to do it. It definitely comes in handy during the holiday baking season!
Why line baking pans with foil?
Lining baking pans with foil just makes it easier to lift desserts out of the pan cleanly. When you're planning to portion and give brownies or bars...or place them on a platter, it's nice to have them cut neatly. Without the help of foil, that first brownie (and usually the first row) is always a mangled mess. Is it just me?
By using foil, you can lift the entire batch out of the pan and onto a cutting board before cutting. (And once cut, you can use the foil to plop the bars/squares back into the pan for easy storage.)
Also, it makes the pan much easier to clean! Think especially about desserts with caramel, like Twix Brownies, or caramel brownies, or jam layers. You'll never be left scraping the sides of the pan. Woo hoo!
How to line a pan with foil.
Measure a piece of foil longer than your baking pan.
Flip the pan back over, so it's right-side-up, and place the formed foil piece into the pan. Leave some overhang on the sides of the pan.
Unless the recipe specifically states otherwise, I like to grease the foil with just a bit of shortening. This will help the bars/brownies/whathaveyou lift off of the foil effortlessly.
Once goodies are baked and cooled, use the foil overhang to lift the dessert out of the pan and onto a cutting board. I like to use a bench scraper to cut most bars.
Have your foil handy? Here are some recipes you might want to try...
1. everyday brownies
Happy baking!
