A Well-Read Tart

A Food and Book Lover’s Blog

Valentine’s Day Cherry Chocolate Chip Scones (Recipe Inspired by SPARE)

If you want someone to fall in love with you this Valentine's Day, make them a batch of Cherry Chocolate Chip Scones. Because they're the best fucking scones I’ve tasted since I vacationed in England. Excuse the profanity, Tartlets, as my inner Roy Kent comes out. But, any scones that make me feel like I’ve magically transported across the pond are worth every swear word.    Why are Cherry Chocolate Chip Scones the book-inspired recipe...

Easy Dundee Cake (Recipe Inspired by THE WINTER SEA)

Allow me to introduce you to the palest Dundee Cake you'll ever meet. Pale, but delicious.   Why is Dundee Cake the book-inspired recipe for The Winter Sea? Since The Winter Sea is saturated in all things Scotland, I wanted to make a Scottish book-inspired recipe. In order to avoid making a Scotch egg or haggis *shudders* I decided to forgo the savory route by making something sweet. After flipping through some recipe books, this Dundee Cake...

Cinnamon Raisin Scones

Cinnamon Raisin Scones are a celebration of all things cinnamon. And, who couldn't use a little celebration right now? Mr. Tart loves cinnamon. LOVES it. He'll try pretty much anything cinnamon-flavored, including those weird, special edition Oreo cookies and KitKat bars they keep churning out. He frequently requests my Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake, and I've even gotten him to like cinnamon in savory dishes, like these Pomegranate Meatballs a...

Cheese Scones (Recipe Inspired By THE ENDLESS BEACH)

Holy. FREAKIN. Cow. These cheese scones are amazing. Jenny Colgan is the woman who inspired me to make scones. I had been smack in the middle of The Café by the Sea, reading about how Flora was making scones from her mother’s recipe book, when I was suddenly overcome with the need to make scones myself. From scratch. For the first time. At 6AM on a Saturday. That is what this woman’s writing does to you. Colgan’s wonderfully descriptive...

Blueberry Almond Scones (Recipe inspired by THE ROAD TO LITTLE DRIBBLING)

While I didn't love The Road to Little Dribbling, author Bill Bryson's time in England did inspire me to make some delicious English treats. I'm a huge Anglophile, and I appreciated his enthusiasm for English culture with all its delightful quirks, gorgeous landscapes, and elegant teatime traditions. One of my favorite things to do in London is have afternoon tea at a luxury hotel. I try to visit a different tea salon each time, but I'm also...