Reasons Why Being 23 and Exceptionally Single is Awesome
- I have an entire big bed to myself to spread out in.
- When I bake a batch of cookies or a slice (see below), I get to eat the whole lot myself.
- I can have enormous bowls of oatmeal topped with ungodly amounts of almond butter, maple syrup, and 85% dark chocolate for both breakfast and lunch if I want to.
- When I travel, I can go and see and do whatever I want, whenever I want, on the slightest whim.
- When I travel, I get to meet, innocently cuddle, and laugh with cute boys.
- I can sing and dance and make a fool of myself in the house whenever I want to.
- I don’t get my heart broken.
Spiced Sesame Slice
Reasons Why Being 23 and Exceptionally Single is the Antithesis of Awesome
- I have an entire big bed to myself which I only use a corner of.
- When I bake a batch of cookies or a slice (see below), I have to eat the whole lot myself.
- Sometimes I realise I’ve eaten enormous bowls of oatmeal topped with ungodly amounts of almond butter, maple syrup, and 85% dark chocolate for both breakfast and lunch three days in a row.
- When I travel, I run the risk of going and seeing and doing hospital visits in foreign countries with no one to keep me company during the interminable hours in Emergency.
- After I’ve travelled, met, innocently cuddled, and laughed with cute boys, I’m still 23 and exceptionally single.
- Sometimes I don’t feel like singing and dancing and making a fool of myself by myself.
- I don’t know what it feels like to get my heart broken.
Swirl, my pretties. Swirl.
Now that I’ve made myself feel vulnerable enough to warrant hiding under my doona for a day or so, here’s the recipe for the slice mentioned in points 2a and 2b. In other words: Dramatic Shift of Tone!
This is quite a cake-y slice, and it freezes well. Hurrah! Such a quality is very convenient when you find yourself needing a break from its deliciousness (and it is delicious) after eating eight squares over the course of one day.
Pre-ovening.
I can’t recommend this slice enough as a treat for afternoon tea, morning tea, dessert with a scoop of ice cream, or at any moment of the day that feels right. Perfumed with warm spices, it reminds me of a less-aggressive pain d’epice or a more complex gingerbread. Personally, I find the highlight of the slice to be its toasted sesame top, as the jolt of nuttiness against the soft, spiced, sweet underneath makes me all but swoon. This is my kind of creation: not over-the-top or cloying in its richness yet sweet enough to feel like a treat, and sufficiently layered in flavour to keep you going back for more. I’ll be making this again.
(Now that I think about it, I’ll probably double the spices next time. But I’ve kept the recipe below as I made it, because I can comfortably recommend that way.)
You guessed it: post-ovening!
Spiced Sesame Slice
Makes 16 – 20. Adapted from sweet food.
Note: The original recipe used only ground ginger, but also included crystallised ginger. Not only did I not have crystallised ginger, I don’t like it, so I happily nixed it in favour of adding other spices. But feel free to add in 50g of chopped crystallised ginger with the first lot of sesame seeds and leave out the additional spices, if you’d prefer.
- 50g (1/3 cup) sesame seeds
- 125g (1 cup) plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 eggs
- 140g (3/4 cup) soft brown sugar
- 125g Nuttelex (or unsalted butter), melted
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) Lightly grease a 18 x 26cm shallow baking tin (or something around that size – no need to fuss) and line with baking paper, so that the baking paper extends up both long sides.
- Toast sesame seeds in a frying pan over medium-low heat, for 5-10 minutes, until browning but not burnt. Trust yourself, and don’t worry if a few seeds get a bit dark in colour. Some of mine looked almost burnt, and it was still super yum-times.
- Sift together the flour, bicarb, spices, and pinch of salt. In a separate, large, bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar with an electric mixer for 3 minutes, until thick and creamy. Beat in the melted butter.
- Gently fold in the flour mixture and half the sesame seeds, gently mixing until there are no pockets of flour hidden in the batter.
- Spread into the tin and sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds. Bake for 20 minutes, until slightly coloured and firm, though slightly springy, to the touch. Cool in the tin for ten minutes, then lift out and cool on a wire rack.
Question time! Anyone have anything else to add to the Pros, Cons, or both lists?
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
That slice looks completely amazing and wonderful and wowww. Very much something I would like to eat in huge quantities!!
I’d offer my services to fill the “boyfriend gap” but, while I can easily do most of those tasks (the bed-sharing, the cookie-eating..), I am completely incapable of breaking your heart….. so sorry, I guess you’ll have to find someone else =\
… yep, I am one smooth bastard
That slice looks completely amazing and wonderful and wowww. Very much something I would like to eat in huge quantities!!
I’d offer my services to fill the “boyfriend gap” but, while I can easily do most of those tasks (the bed-sharing, the cookie-eating..), I am completely incapable of breaking your heart….. so sorry, I guess you’ll have to find someone else =\
… yep, I am one smooth bastard
Oh, and…
As for pros and cons… here’s one that’s kinda twofold win/lose or lose/win or lose/lose or win/win… I’m yet to decide…
Holding hands in winter. On the one hand (ha!), it is great for keeping said hand warm. However, it requires I take my hands out of my pocket, where they are already warm. While this would seem like a non-issue, removing hand from pocket usually exposes OTHER parts of oneself (ie. wrist, fingertips) to cold they would otherwise be able to avoid.
This is a very topical issue for me, as you can imagine. I think what I need to do is wear gloves AND hold hands. That way I get the best of both worlds.
Another topical one for me… staying up late cuddling in front of the TV. Awwww, cold outside, all warm and cosy on the couch…maybe sharing a bag of popcorn or sipping on mugs of hot chocolate… awwww… That’s nice, right?
… NOT WHEN IT’S TO WATCH ENDLESS TOUR DE FRANCE COVERAGE. OR SOME KIND OF CAGE-FIGHTING EVENTS. OR ENDLESS EPISODES OF BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD, ACCOMPANIED BY IMPERSONATIONS.
BESIDES, I DON’T EVEN LIKE STAYING UP TOO LATE. I’m an old, old woman who needs stupidly large amounts of sleep. And when I’m denied my bedtime, I get ANGRY. Really really angry. Grumpy and cranky and rude and whiny, and thus manage to ruin any “quality time” that could’ve resulted from such an evening.
And another, soon-to-be-topical one for me…. Boyfriends mean pretty birthday presents!!! Yay! ………….but then it’s their birthday a month later, and you have to buy them presents. And it has to be comparably good, or else you look like a bit of an asshole and/or feel guilty and mean. Shiiiiit.
Oh, and…
As for pros and cons… here’s one that’s kinda twofold win/lose or lose/win or lose/lose or win/win… I’m yet to decide…
Holding hands in winter. On the one hand (ha!), it is great for keeping said hand warm. However, it requires I take my hands out of my pocket, where they are already warm. While this would seem like a non-issue, removing hand from pocket usually exposes OTHER parts of oneself (ie. wrist, fingertips) to cold they would otherwise be able to avoid.
This is a very topical issue for me, as you can imagine. I think what I need to do is wear gloves AND hold hands. That way I get the best of both worlds.
Another topical one for me… staying up late cuddling in front of the TV. Awwww, cold outside, all warm and cosy on the couch…maybe sharing a bag of popcorn or sipping on mugs of hot chocolate… awwww… That’s nice, right?
… NOT WHEN IT’S TO WATCH ENDLESS TOUR DE FRANCE COVERAGE. OR SOME KIND OF CAGE-FIGHTING EVENTS. OR ENDLESS EPISODES OF BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD, ACCOMPANIED BY IMPERSONATIONS.
BESIDES, I DON’T EVEN LIKE STAYING UP TOO LATE. I’m an old, old woman who needs stupidly large amounts of sleep. And when I’m denied my bedtime, I get ANGRY. Really really angry. Grumpy and cranky and rude and whiny, and thus manage to ruin any “quality time” that could’ve resulted from such an evening.
And another, soon-to-be-topical one for me…. Boyfriends mean pretty birthday presents!!! Yay! ………….but then it’s their birthday a month later, and you have to buy them presents. And it has to be comparably good, or else you look like a bit of an asshole and/or feel guilty and mean. Shiiiiit.
This cake/slice is right up my alley. Ginger cake is my favourite cake in the whole world (even though for some reason I rarely make it). I also don’t go in for overly sweet treats. I’ll be bookmarking this one!
Oh and pros for being single at 23 – you should be single at that age! Who wants to be settled down so early??
This cake/slice is right up my alley. Ginger cake is my favourite cake in the whole world (even though for some reason I rarely make it). I also don’t go in for overly sweet treats. I’ll be bookmarking this one!
Oh and pros for being single at 23 – you should be single at that age! Who wants to be settled down so early??
LOL you are too funny Hannah. You could give Carrie Bradshaw a run for her money
Pros of being partnered up with a man who is bigger than you: he carries the luggage. Don’t underestimate that! 
LOL you are too funny Hannah. You could give Carrie Bradshaw a run for her money
Pros of being partnered up with a man who is bigger than you: he carries the luggage. Don’t underestimate that! 
Holy Hubcaps! A Sweet Treat to die for! Love it!
PRO: You can really focus on your career, education, fitness, and goals.
CON: There’s no one around to even occasionally make you breakfast in bed.
Holy Hubcaps! A Sweet Treat to die for! Love it!
PRO: You can really focus on your career, education, fitness, and goals.
CON: There’s no one around to even occasionally make you breakfast in bed.
haha I agree with Lorraine – the bag carrying abilities come in handy – although the dooner stealing does not
Great looking slice girl!!!!
haha I agree with Lorraine – the bag carrying abilities come in handy – although the dooner stealing does not
Great looking slice girl!!!!
I have a question for you: what is wrong with crystallized ginger?
And now to turn melancholy on you… Pro – You don’t have to please anyone but yourself. Con – Sometimes it’s nice when someone else is pleased with you, too.
I have a question for you: what is wrong with crystallized ginger?
And now to turn melancholy on you… Pro – You don’t have to please anyone but yourself. Con – Sometimes it’s nice when someone else is pleased with you, too.
Come on now, you know the REAL reason you’re single. You haven’t yet found a guy that could even HOPE to ATTEMPT to PRETEND to TRY to REPLICATE your excessive awesomeness!
Erm…what’s “a slice”? Slice of what?! Specify!
Come on now, you know the REAL reason you’re single. You haven’t yet found a guy that could even HOPE to ATTEMPT to PRETEND to TRY to REPLICATE your excessive awesomeness!
Erm…what’s “a slice”? Slice of what?! Specify!
I HAVE TO MAKE THIS. You amazing lady.
Speaking of amazing, holy cow that oatmeal sounds good. Don’t feel like you couldn’t eat it with someone else around – I think I might try it for breakfast tomorrow myself, boyfriend be damned. And you really don’t want to know the frequency at which I dance and sing and make a fool of myself
I HAVE TO MAKE THIS. You amazing lady.
Speaking of amazing, holy cow that oatmeal sounds good. Don’t feel like you couldn’t eat it with someone else around – I think I might try it for breakfast tomorrow myself, boyfriend be damned. And you really don’t want to know the frequency at which I dance and sing and make a fool of myself
I had this exact conversation with a friend earlier today. It was very similar to the curly-vs-straight debate.
I had this exact conversation with a friend earlier today. It was very similar to the curly-vs-straight debate.
ha, great post!
I’m married and still resort back to big bowls of oatmeal or enormous bowls of cereal whenever I’m on my own for a meal 
ha, great post!
I’m married and still resort back to big bowls of oatmeal or enormous bowls of cereal whenever I’m on my own for a meal 
Brilliant post – nice to see that you have some chinks in your travelin’, PhDin’, chocolate findin’, smurf kitchen lovin’ armor.
I was also single at 23 and felt all the same pros and cons you describe. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing and am glad that I didn’t meet Love Chunks until I’d had a few adventures….
L-Izzle: I knew I could trust you to come up with something simultaneously crazy and which I completely agree with. As someone who tends to sit on my hands to keep them warm, I’m thinking the gloves idea is a winner. P.S. I hope A’s bad tv isn’t preventing you from watching Masterchef!
Sarah: Thank you
For both parts! I hope you make this – I really do like it!
Lorraine: Aw, what a compliment, thank you! As someone who’s done months upon months of travelling by myself with suitcases… I both take your point and can confidently say I’m pretty good with luggage myself!
Anna Johnston: Oooh, that’s a good point. It would be nice for someone to *make* me that oatmeal…
Lisa: Thank you! Yes, doonas are likely to be a fraught issue in winter
Camille: Don’t be too hard on me! When I was younger I couldn’t even stomach fresh or ground ginger, so I’m making slow steps forward! And oh, that’s a good addition…
Amber: You make me feel glorious instead of mopey inside. Love love. Aha, we’ve found another linguistic difference! I guess what we correctly call “slices” are what you Americans incorrectly call “bars”?
Ours really is better, because a slice can be ‘sliced’ any which way, whereas how are you meant to ‘bar’ a bar?
Hungry and Frozen:
I really hope you try the slice and the oatmeal! No qualms recommending them, though keep in mind the slice isn’t super rich! (I’m thinking back to some of your lovely decadent works…) And I’m pretty sure you dance and sing about as much as I do 
Lauren: Oh gosh, so tempting to make a joke here about the love-related other meaning of “straight” in reference to you and L-man, but I shall refrain.
Simply Life: I betcha look forward to his work trips then
Kath: Really, really thank you.
(And in regards to your first comment, I often I think I have more chinks than armour!)
Big pros: You can go visit your BFF anytime you want.
Cons: You can eat half a pound of brussel sprouts without anyone stopping you. Yes, this belongs in the cons category!
im 21 and been single for 6 years. im a tad worried since i want this to change lol. but there are MANY perks to outweigh negative i think.. well especially when im around my friends who are in relationships. i usually end up saying “thank god im single!” haha <3
Lars steals the sheets and he recently kicked me in his sleep. So, you have s safe rest!
I love this post thought!
I think you rock!
Anges: You just made me laugh out loud in the National Library like a CRAZY PERSON. Is that really appropriate behaviour for a BFF?
Kelsey: Maybe your friends need new partners?!
The Hungry Scholar: Thank you love! I think you’re rather special too. But the pro for Lars: he didn’t eat your fancy Canberran chocolate
Sure, if one doesn’t mind having a crazy person for a BFF (and obviously I don’t).
Hehee, oh noes, I just called you a crazy person! But in my defense, you demonstrated the signs of craziness first – I just told you it was okay. How’s that for being an accepting BFF?
Pro – You don’t have to file taxes jointly.
Con – You don’t have someone to do the hard work of filing your stupid taxes.
(We filed taxes yesterday. Not fun.)
Hugs!
Agnes: You’re one in a million
And I’d much rather you know about my craziness now, and love me for it anyway, than find out about it later and run away 
Theresa: Thanks love! Ugh, I have to do my tax still. And it’s so pointless because I worked about three weeks in this financial year, so it’s not going to mean anything… but I have to do it anyway. Boo!
I like sesame seeds…
Hmmm. Pros: you get a giant hot water bottle at night that doesn’t cool down. Cons: you get a giant hot water bottle at night that doesn’t cool down.
Boys are always better in winter!
Whoops, I was writing that like pros and cons of not being single. My brain is clearly fuzzy and now I can’t think how to rewrite it so that it works with your list. I need a new brain!
Vaala: I hadn’t even noticed your backwards-answering until you pointed it out! So I say keep the brain you’ve got – it’s a good’un
As someone who *hates* the cold, your hot water bottle story is definitely making me want the non-single life 
Well, it’s nice in winter but it’s overly sticky and hot in summer. You win some, you lose some.
Don’t worry, spring is just around the corner (yes? Right???) and singleness becomes infinitely more awesome in warm weather.
Another pro is that should you happen to decide to, oh, I dunno, go for a holiday to Perth, you wouldn’t have to take someone else’s schedule into account.
Conor: YES, RIGHT. Dear lord I cannot tell you how deeply I’m looking forward to warmth and the feeling of sun-burning. Hmm… did I detect an invitation somewhere in there? *grabs suitcase and starts packing the essentials, i.e. chocolate and peanut butter*
very amusing and oh so true – you can look at romance in all sorts of ways – but for me it both a pro and a con to have someone suggesting it is time to stop blogging and go to bed – d’oh – must catch up with your other posts tomorrow!
Johanna: Smooth comment
But yes, having someone to tell me to go to bed before midnight would be helpful!
Johanna: Smooth comment
But yes, having someone to tell me to go to bed before midnight would be helpful!
Pro: no arguments
Con: no making up
Pro: no arguments
Con: no making up
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