Butter Brickle Frozen Delight

What’s in a name? that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell…

Just as sweet.

Call me wallflower girl. Does that sound sweet to you?

It’s always been a source of minor discomfort to me how fast I can turn from the happy locus of attention among a group of friends to a complete, total wallflower in other social situations. Even when I’m ostensibly happily immersed in a large-group conversation, I can just as easily be that awkward person standing between two people who are having a really great discussion.The only things that make it slightly less great are that…

1) they’re having the discussion across you instead of with you,

2) you’re already part of the circle and can’t leave without seeming rude, so you have to stand there and politely nod at some neutral viewing space between the two people with a look as glazed as a fresh donut,

3) the said conversationists will inevitably give you an acknowledging glance every, oh, half a minute or so, to let you know that they know you’re still there. And that they’re maybe trying to include you. But you’ve been so busy staring at the back of somebody else’s head for the past 30 seconds that you don’t know what they were talking about anyway, and so you just smile.

4) You find out you were smiling while they were talking about something super serious. Like the resurgence of the bubonic plague in a remote corner of New Zealand or something. And then you just feel pretty dumb.

Social situations and I can sometimes get along like, say, water and oil that has caught on fire. For your reference, apparently you’re not supposed to throw water on a stovetop on which oil has flamed up. Instant flambe. Very good to know.

So that’s my metaphor for me and human society. Like, all of it.

Having recently watched the movie that partly informed the namesake for this blog (Perks of Being a Wallflower), I haven’t been able to stop thinking what it means to be a wallflower. My friend recently asked me what made my blog different from all the other faded-background-cool-Joe-lighting-photo food blogs out there, and I realized I couldn’t answer him.

Of course, one perk of being a wallflower (or wallflour) girl like me is that you always have plenty of time to think about these things.

I’m an amateur baker/cook/kitchen fairy. I’m also a food blogger, for all of 5 months or something like that. I’m somebody who writes here because sometimes, to be honest, I wouldn’t have any idea how to express these thoughts somewhere else, to people who know what I’m like in the “real world.” And I write because it’s nice being part of a community that doesn’t care whether I have something incredibly witty to say on the spot when I’m asked how I feel about the final Twilight installment.

But I’m also an avid reader of literature, a geeky Sailor Moon fan, a self-proclaimed Disney expert, and I have thoughts. Not always smart thoughts–but some sort of mental activity registers every time I sit down at the computer to type it all out.

And my thought today is this:

Why not make this more than an ordinary, story-sharing blog?

So it’s been decided. Just like that.

Look forward to some experimental, fun freestyling stuff in these upcoming posts: I’m thinking posts in verse, posts in foreign languages, graphic/visual posts, literary posts, and all sorts of other fun stuff. After all, what fun is it being a wallflower girl if you can’t be a wildflower under an alias?

Do you have any ideas that would make for a FUN type of blog post?

“We accept the love we think we deserve.”

Oh, and viva +4 years forward.

Butter Brickle Frozen Delight

Adapted from Allrecipes

Yield: 8×8-inch springform pan

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts
• 1 (16 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8 oz.) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (14 oz.) jar caramel dessert topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, 6 tablespoons melted butter, white sugar, and cinnamon. Press gently and evenly into the bottom of a lightly-greased 8-inch springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
2. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Using the same bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter, and nuts. Spread in a thin layer across baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Crumble while hot, and set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, beat together condensed milk and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Fold in frozen topping. Spread half of the mixture on top of cooled crust, then sprinkle half of the butter brickle crumb over this layer. Cover evenly with half of the caramel dessert topping. Repeat layering.
4. Freeze until firm (best overnight), then remove springform pan sides before serving. Serve with additional caramel if desired.