Photo: Media Bakery

Leave it to the Pentagon to overcomplicate brownies. NPR recently reported on a 26-page(!) recipe for the simple chocolaty treats (and oatmeal cookies) published by the Dept. of Defense for its kitchens. Yes, the gooey chocolaty treats that almost every eight-year-old girl in the country knows how to make requires minutely detailed directions for its 20-, 30-, and 40-something cooks.

To be fair, the Pentagon has certain expectations that eight-year-olds don't, like making sure its treats withstand some pretty brutal field conditions, and that they remain edible for years on end. Which is probably more than you can say for the average fruitcake…

Still, 26 pages to detail brownie making? We hate to see the War and Peace sized manual they must have for culinary complexities like chicken soup and beef stew.