To cut brownies without destroying them, allow the brownies to cool completely and then use a plastic knife or a straight edge blade knife instead of a serrated knife.
A Chef's knife that is at least 8 inches long is also good for cutting brownies without destroying them.
Plastic knives work good for cutting brownies without destroying them as they don't absorb the heat from the brownies like metal knives do.
If using a metal knife you should cool the metal knife with water before cutting into the brownies each time and take your time and don't rush.
The reasons why brownies fall apart when you cut them is because the brownies are either not fully done cooking or you're cutting the brownies before they have cooled completely.
It's crucial that you allow the brownies to cool completely, or even chill the brownies in the fridge before cutting the brownies or they will fall apart if they are cut when hot.
Brownies when fully cooked should also be fudgy, gooey and dense, but not overly gooey, instead of a light and cakey texture.
Achieving the fudgy, gooey and dense texture with your brownies depends on the ratio of ingredients used, like more fat and more sugar and less flour, using a metal pan and not overbaking the brownies.
To cut 8x8 brownies evenly, cut the brownies into 16 perfect 2 inch size squares and then remove the brownies from the pan using a parchment paper sling and use a long and sharp knife that is dipped in some hot water and wiped clean between each cut of the brownies and press straight down without sawing.
Measure and make a small mark at 2 inch and 4 inch intervals of the brownies on all sides and then cut straight lines create 16, 2" x 2" squares.
For larger squares of brownies you can use the 3x3 method which makes 9 larger square brownies.
Divide each side into thirds for larger, bakery style squares.
After baking your brownies you should let the brownies rest for 30 minutes to 60 minutes before cutting.
Before cutting the brownies you should allow the brownies to cool down for 30 minutes to 60 minutes in the baking pan at room temperature.
To get perfectly clean and professionally looking brownie squares, chill the brownies in the fridge for 30 minutes or even in the freezer for 15 minutes before you cut them.
The reason why cooling brownies is important is because cooling the brownies allows the structure of the brownies to set, which results in a dense and firm and fudgy texture, instead of a gooey and crumbly mess.
Resting the brownies after baking is important as the cooling of the brownies allows the residual heat to finish cooking the center of the brownies, while the cooling of the brownies prevents the brownies from falling apart and ensures the brownies will have clean, sharp cuts and it also enables the flavors of the brownies to develop properly.
When brownies are hot, they are fragile, so they require for the starches to gel and the fats to solidify, which creates signature fudgy, dense consistency.
If you cut brownies before they cool, the brownies will break apart, crumble and turn into a gooey and messy mess, instead of resulting in clean brownie squares.
The heat of the brownies keeps the chocolate and butter in a liquid state, which means that the structure of the brownies have not set, which results in torn, messy edges and a gooey interior.
Brownies are also supposed to be slightly gooey in the middle when done but not overly gooey.
Properly baked brownies should be fudgy, moist and slightly gooey in the center instead fully dry and the brownies when baked properly and done should have set edge and have a slightly wobbly center which firms up when they are cooling.
If you stick a toothpick into the middle of the brownies and it comes out with moist crumbs and not with raw batter then they are done perfectly.
Fudgy brownies also use more fat/chocolate and less flour and often also rely on melted chocolate and cocoa powder, and cakey brownies use less fat and sometimes leavening agents.
Fudgy brownies are ready when the center of the brownies still have a slight jiggle.
And while brownies are supposed to be gooey, the brownies are also not meant to be raw, and so they must reach an internal temperature of at least 160 F to be safe to eat.
If your brownies are liquid in the middle after they cool, then they might be underbaked, which can also be fixed by placing the brownies back in the oven.
Common brownie baking mistakes are overmixing the batter, using cold eggs, cutting the brownies before they cool completely and even overbaking the brownies.
Overbaking the brownies is the most common mistake when baking brownies, which leads to dry, cakey textures for the brownies instead of fudgy textures that brownies should have.
When baking brownies, the brownies should be removed from the oven when a toothpick comes out of the brownies with a few moist crumbs and not completely clean as the brownies also continue to cook while they are cooling.
If the toothpick comes out completely clean then they should be baked more until the toothpick comes out of the brownies with a few moist crumbs.
Overmixing the brownie batter develops the gluten in the brownie batter, which results in a cake like or tough texture, instead of the dense and fudgy texture that brownies should have.
Using cold butter or cold eggs in brownie mix is also a common mistake when baking brownies as the ingredients including the eggs and butter should be at room temperature to properly emulsify the ingredients, otherwise it can result in a broken or uneven brownie batter.
And cutting brownies too soon while warm also ruins the texture of the brownies and causes the brownies to crumble.
So before cutting the brownies, the brownies should be cooled completely to ensure clean fudgy square brownies.
Other common mistakes when baking brownies are using the wrong size baking pan, using low quality chocolate, not lining the baking pan and even not measuring the flour properly.
Not measuring the flour properly and scooping the flour directly into the bowl with a measuring cup also packs the flour down and adds too much flour that makes your brownies dry.
When measuring flour for the brownies you should use a scale or the spoon and level method.
And forgetting to use parchment paper or failing to grease the baking pan properly causes sticking of the brownies, which makes it impossible to remove the brownies cleanly and easily.
Using a baking pan that is too large or too small also alters the baking times and thickness of the brownies and so an 8x8 inch or 9x9 inch straight sided metal baking pan is often recommended for baking brownies.
And because the chocolate is the primary flavor in brownies, using low quality chocolate or cocoa powder results in a taste that is lackluster or not as great.