A Well-Read Tart

A Food and Book Lover’s Blog

Blood Orange and Rose Water Fairy Cakes (Recipe Inspired by LITTLE DARLINGS)

I seriously think these Blood Orange and Rose Water Fairy Cakes are plucked straight from my childhood tea party dreams. My latest read, Little Darlings, follows a woman whose babies are snatched away by fairies. As soon as I finished the book, I started scouring the Internet for fairy-related recipes. I quickly stumbled upon Fairy Cakes and immediately fell in love with these cupcake-like confections encased in icing and adorned with colorful...

Pantry Staples Recipes: A Coronavirus Meal Planning Survival Guide

Hello, Tartlets! We interrupt our regularly scheduled book review and book-inspired recipe posts to bring you this specially curated list of Pantry Staples Recipes, designed to help you figure out what the heck to cook each day while you're spending 24/7 with those you love...with, um, rather limited resources. My grandmother always kept a well-stocked pantry and freezer in her basement. Whenever I would visit her, we would go downstairs and...

Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies (Recipe Inspired by FINDING THE GIFT)

The first time I turned on my oven in 2020 was to bake Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies, and they were the perfect way to kick off a new year of baking. And, it just so happens that these delicious cookies pair perfectly with my recent book review of Finding the Gift. Finding the Gift is about many things, but it’s mostly about focusing on the little, happy moments that make life worth living. Finding the “gifts,” so to speak, in everyday life....

Parkin Cake (Recipe Inspired by THE LOST FOR WORDS BOOKSHOP

One of the most delightful things about reading The Lost for Words Bookshop was discovering what Parkin Cake is. Why is Parkin Cake the book-inspired recipe for The Lost for Words Bookshop?  I love books set in different places, and a large reason why is that they allow me to discover new cuisines. A “Parkin” is repeatedly mentioned in The Lost for Words Bookshop as something that Loveday and her mother would bake together for her...

Pecan Snowball Cookies (Recipe Inspired by ONE DAY IN DECEMBER)

I'm so excited to be making Pecan Snowball Cookies as my book-inspired recipe for One Day in December. I mean, you can't get a better culinary concoction for a wintry romance than a snowball, right??   Why are Pecan Snowball Cookies the book-inspired recipe for One Day in December? When Laurie sees love interest Jack through a bus window on a wintry day in London, the frigid air is swirling with snowflakes. It's magical, it's...

Blueberry Molasses Cake (Recipe Inspired by THE INVITED)

Blueberry Molasses Cake is on my short list for favorite cake of the year. It's mouthwateringly moist, packed with unique flavor, and downright delicious.   Why is Blueberry Molasses Cake the book-inspired recipe for The Invited? Since The Invited takes places in Vermont, I wanted a book-inspired recipe that's quintessentially New England. You can't get more New England than Yankee Magazine, and I don't think you can get more New...

Hocus Pocus Cupcakes (Recipe Inspired by THE HOCUS POCUS MAGIC SHOP)

I can't stop staring at these gorgeous Hocus Pocus Cupcakes. *all the heart eyes* The sprinkles! The frosting! THE SPRINKLES AND THE FROSTING!! Although The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop takes place around Halloween, these delicious confectioneries flavored with chocolate, cherries, and roses are like Valentine's Day shoved into a cupcake. Which is exactly what you want in a dessert modeled after a love potion. You heard me: love potion. These are...

Apple Crumble Galette (Recipe Inspired by THE CITY BAKER’S GUIDE TO COUNTRY LIVING)

This Apple Crumble Galette is about as close as to making a pie as I’m ever going to come. And, I’m TOTALLY okay with that. My husband asks me to make apple crumble every autumn. We love to go apple picking, and we usually end up with more apples than we know what to do with. But, I always know to set aside some apples to make my All Day Apple Butter and an apple crumble. This year, I think a new fall tradition has been born with this Apple...

Mint Chocolate Cake (Reciped Inspired by THE MOTHER-IN-LAW)

I really should call this Mint Chocolate Cake the “Hot Mess Cake.” Because that's totally what it looks like until the cake comes out of the oven. It’s just a whole bunch o’ ingredients dumped unceremoniously into a food processor that magically becomes one of the most delicious, moist, and mouth-watering cakes you’ll ever taste. Even though The Mother-in-Law wasn't inspired by author Sally Hepworth's mother-in-law, my book-inspired...

Cardamom Banana Cake with Coconut Frosting

Do I really need to write a post about this Cardamom Banana Cake with Coconut Frosting? I mean, LOOK AT IT. A picture’s worth a thousand words, so I’m just gonna peace out for the rest of this post… KIDDING! Just kidding. I’ve been blogging for almost a whole year now; I know how all this works. I have to entice you to make this dessert through words and photos. Really, the best advertisement for this Cardamom Banana Cake is the fact...