Preparing the Pan

Use a Parchment Liner

Don’t grease your sheets—the extra fat can cause cookies to bake unevenly. Instead, line the baking sheet with parchment. Its slick surface allows cookies to easily release. (Waxed paper isn’t a good substitute—high temperature can make the wax coating melt.) To keep parchment flat on the pan, put a small dab of dough on each corner of the baking sheet.

Make a Sling

With their gooey centers, it’s nearly impossible to remove some bar cookies from the pan without tearing or crumbling. Here’s our easy solution:

1. Place two sheets of foil or parchment paper perpendicular to each other in the baking pan, pushing into the corners and up the sides. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. After the bar cookies have baked and cooled, use the ¬overhang to lift the whole thing from the pan. Cut into portions.