Chocolate brownies, cutting help needed!

[shrunkenhead]

I have to make about 40 brownies for a friend's party and need them all to be square and all the same size. What I really need is advice on a) best time to slice them eg hot? cold? still warm? as I never seem to do the neatest job and b) how do I measure them??? You'd think it would be so simple, and maybe I'm missing something here! They taste fine just really need to get them so they look aesthetically pleasing! Also what is the best size for one brownie? eg 4x4cm???? Any input much appreciated.

Cut cold.

I would make a template with some grease proof paper - cut to the exact size as the brownies in a whole piece.

Measure the paper across and down and divide the measurement by how many brownies you want and then drawn the lines on the paper across and down. Out of my brownie pan I normally get 16. Put the paper over the brownies and gently mark with a knife. Cut.

I would say 2" by 2".

Measure with a (clean) ruler, and then mark the tin.
Turn the ruler through 90 degrees, and use the straight edge to draw the line.

Decide if you want to include the edges in the 40.
Its also worth thinking about how many you will get out of the tin: if you go for 4x4, and end up with 3.5cm left at the edge, what are you going to do?

I think they cut best cold, but my recipe says hot!

You could get one of these

If you've got a wide plastic ruler you could make them slighty smaller, more like a brownie bite, and cut down both sides of the ruler then turn it through 90 and cut the other way.

You'd end up with very even pieces.

Keep the trimmings chopped into small bits and you can use them as ice cream toppers (assuming they survive long enough to make it to the freezer).

I tend to chill or even part freeze then cut.

Refrigerate them. For at least 2 hours. Then cut with a very, very sharp knife when they are just out of the fridge.

Cut when cold, use a big sharp knife dipped in hot water and clean knife between each cut.

I decorate brownies with a bit of dusted icing sugar and sprinkle over mini white chocolate stars which looks pretty and detracts from any cracked bits

At least 2" x 2", if not 2.5" x 2.5" (or 6.4cm x 6.4cm for you young ones), otherwise people will eat two each and then your numbers will be wrong.

Thanks for your advice, I bought a metal square cutter and this does the job perfectly.