A Well-Read Tart

A Food and Book Lover’s Blog

Jam Thumbprint Cookies (Recipe Inspired by CHRISTMAS JOY)

It's just not Christmas without Jam Thumbprint Cookies on my dessert table.   Why are Jam Thumbprint Cookies the book-inspired recipe for Christmas Joy? Even though I didn't grow up baking these little cookies filled with fruity goodness, they've become a Christmas cookie staple in my home over the years. Which is why I think they're the perfect book-inspired recipe for Christmas Joy. Main character Joy spends hours baking dozens and...

Gingerbread Cake (Recipe Inspired by N0S4A2)

There's nothing like a festive Gingerbread Cake to give you all the Christmas feels. Except maybe several Gingerbread Cakes.    Why is Gingerbread Cake the book-inspired recipe for N0S4A2? I had to make Gingerbread Cake as the book-inspired recipe for N0S4A2. Had to. Remember that creepy guy Bing in the book? Yeah... he uses gingerbread-scented sevoflurane to gas his victims. Yes, that's a morbid connection, but aren't you used...

Sally Lunn Buns (Recipe Inspired by THE OTHER BENNET SISTER)

It’s hard to believe that these Sally Lunn Buns came out of my kitchen. But, they did, and they're freaking perfect.   A reminder about me and bread-making... In case you don't remember, I suck making yeasted bread. Like, really suck at it. I mean, I've done it, with mixed results. There was the Fig and Pepper Bread, which turned out surprisingly great, and then the Cinnamon Rolls-turned-Cinnamon Cake, which, while delicious,...

Powdered Sugar Donut Holes (Recipe Inspired by DAISY JONES & THE SIX)

It’s time to talk about one of my favorite desserts: Powdered Sugar Donut Holes.     Why are Powdered Sugar Donut Holes the book-inspired recipe for Daisy Jones & The Six? Yeah, so…there’s a lot of drug use in Daisy Jones & The Six. Like, A LOT. Not exactly what book-inspired recipe dreams are made of. As a nod to the mountains of cocaine snorted up by every wannabe and actual rock star from the 1970s, I’m making...

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread (Recipe Inspired by MY DARK VANESSA)

It's the most wonderful time of the year... time for PUMPKIN EVERYTHING. Starting with Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread. Why is Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread the book-inspired recipe for My Dark Vanessa? You might be thinking that Pumpkin Bread is a strange book-inspired recipe to pair with My Dark Vanessa. And I guess you'd be right. I mean, My Dark Vanessa is HEAVY, and this delicately spiced autumnal treat is anything but. However, Vanessa's dark...

Grand-Mere’s Friday Night Chicken (Recipe Inspired by THE GOWN)

Grand-Mere’s Friday Night Chicken is truth in advertising here, people. Or, truth in blogging, I guess. What you see is what you get. And what I cooked.   Why is Grand-Mere's Friday Night Chicken the book-inspired recipe for The Gown? Main character Miriam mentions her grandmother's traditional Friday Night chicken dish in The Gown, and it sounded so interesting that I decided to make it. The original recipe for Grand-Mere’s...

Loaded Turkey Nachos (Recipe Inspired by PARTY OF TWO)

Don't run away! I know this looks like a salad. Let me reassure you that you're looking at a big ol' honkin' plate of Loaded Turkey Nachos. That's right: there's meat under there. (That's what he said.)    Why are Loaded Turkey Nachos the book-inspired recipe for Party of Two?  Tartlets, you don't even know how difficult it was choosing my book-inspired recipe for Party of Two. This rom-com doubles down on the food talk. Cakes...

Zucchini Bread (Recipe Inspired by MIDNIGHT AT THE BLACKBIRD CAFE)

It's the height of summer, which can only mean one thing: your garden's overflowing with zucchini, so it's time to make zucchini bread.  I mean, that's what summer means to me.    Why is Zucchini Bread the book-inspired recipe for Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe? I bet you thought I'd make a “Blackbird” (a.k.a., Blackberry) Pie as my book-inspired recipe for Midnight at the Blackbird Café. Blackbird Pie is the...

Strawberry Pie (Recipe Inspired by THE COOKBOOK CLUB)

Who’s obsessed with Strawberry Pie? THIS GIRL. Who didn’t even know it existed until a few months ago? ALSO THIS GIRL. I mean, sure, I’d maybe seen it in a grocery store or at a farm stand sometimes, but it never really caught my attention. That luscious strawberry filling was always hidden by a flaky, golden top crust. Which is not a bad thing, mind you. I love crust. It’s my main reason for eating pie. I’ve never really preferred pie...

Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies (Recipe Inspired by THE LOST APOTHECARY)

Tartlets, you have no idea what I went through to bring you today’s Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies. For reals. If you only knew how many trial batches of cookies were tossed in the bin…. *sigh* As soon as I finished reading The Lost Apothecary, I knew what my book-inspired recipe would be. Author Sarah Penner included a recipe for Rosemary Butter Biscuit Cookies at the end of the book, and since apothecary Nella knows everything about...