WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- An unclassified government document that's been a blockbuster in the blogosphere is the Pentagon's 26 page recipe for brownies, specifically designed for military consumption.
Chef Susan Holt of CulinAerie, a downtown Washington cooking school, helped us bake the brownies. The store-bought mix was ready in minutes.
The Pentagon "formula," filled with regulations and specifications, was more challenging. It read: There shall be no foreign odor or flavor, such as but not limited to burnt, scorched, stale, sour, rancid, musty or moldy.
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The military formula had some basic ingredients, like eggs and flour, plus some that were hard to find, like anhydrous dextrose, imported from China.
The Pentagon batter was like dense putty; the store-bought mixture, syrupy. After baking, it was no small task to cut them to military specifications: 3 ½ x 2 ½ inches. No more than 5/8 of an inch high.
According to the regulations, broken off edges not exceeding 1/16th of an inch maximum are considered acceptable.
There is even a weight requirement. Remarkably, the two brownies weighed the same. In the end, a baking victory!
In the end, a baking victory!
Said Chef Susan Holt with a smile, "According to the specifications, this is a mil spec brownie."
But which would our colleagues prefer-the so-called military formula or Betty Crocker?
The vast majority of tasters preferred the sweet, moister Betty Crocker brand. Five newsroom staffers preferred the dense, less sweet brownie, including me.
The Pentagon has reportedly revised its brownie recipe and included some other baked goods. The new version? 31 pages!
Written by Andrea McCarren
9NEWS NOW & WUSA9.COM