DO’S AND DON’TS

From Julia Collin Davison, executive food editor of “America’s Test Kitchen”:

DO use a pan with straight corners rather than curved ones as the bars will come out more even looking.

DO make sure the foil extends over the edges of the pan before you pat down the crust. It will help to remove the bars and place them on a cutting board without damaging the pan.

DO pack the crust tightly in the pan with a measuring cup or glass bottom, then it won’t crumble when it’s lifted out. A sturdy crust will support the topping well.

DO par bake the crust before layering it with curd, jam or fudge. This way the crust will bake through and maintain its texture and crispiness.

DO keep an eye on how much filling you add. The crust will not be able to support too much filling.

DO rotate the pan halfway through when baking as oven temperatures vary between the center and back by about 50 degrees. The back of the oven is hotter than the front.

DON’T overbake. The cooking time carries over as the bars cool in the baking pan, so pull them out when they are slightly underdone.

DON’T cut the bars when they are warm. They have to cool completely or they will crumble.

From Jennifer McHenry, author and blogger:

DO spread the batter or dough evenly. An offset spatula is a great tool to make this process quick and easy.

DO use a thin, sharp knife to cut the bars. Slice with a smooth motion for clean edges. Wipe the knife with a damp cloth, or rinse under warm water between cuts.

DO store the bars properly. Nonperishable bars such as pecan blondies need to be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Perishable bars such as cheesecake bars should be kept refrigerated.

DON’T rush the cooling time.

DON’T change the pan size specified in the recipe. Changing the size will alter the thickness and consistency, which will affect how the bars bake.