A Well-Read Tart

A Food and Book Lover’s Blog

Apple Butter Crumble Bars (Recipe Inspired by THEME MUSIC)

I’m officially kicking off the baking holiday season with Apple Butter Crumble Bars! We’ve now entered my favorite time of year: the season of cinnamon-scented air, platters of cookies piled high on tables, festive decorations everywhere you look... ...and yoga pants becoming acceptable attire at all holiday functions because, by god, they’ll stretch to fit EVERYTHING you consume between now and New Year’s Eve. That’s right, folks....

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies (Recipe Inspired by THE WHISPER MAN)

My October baking game is starting strong with Pumpkin Swirl Brownies!     Why are Pumpkin Swirl Brownies the book-inspired recipe for The Whisper Man? The Whisper Man is definitely one of the creepiest books I've read in a long time. Which means it's a perfect October read. And, with their dark brown swirls and bright orange whirls, Pumpkin Swirl Brownies are the perfect October treat. This book-inspired recipe was created because I...

Rose Honey Cake (Recipe Inspired by JERUSALEM MAIDEN)

This Rose Honey Cake turned out so gorgeous, I had a hard time slicing into it. Which is pretty frickin’ hilarious, considering how absolutely awful my first attempt at making this dessert went! If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll remember my post of the cake that flowed like molten lava up and over its baking dish and (thankfully!) onto the baking sheet below. Moral of that story? Don’t try to cram a cake meant for a 9” springform...

Sock It To Me Cake (Recipe Inspired by AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE)

Have you ever heard of Sock It To Me Cake? If you have, you probably grew up in the American South. But, if you're like me, this is a brand new cake experience that you're about to have. And you're going to love it.  Get excited.    What is Sock It To Me Cake to book-inspired recipe for An American Marriage? Sock It To Me Cake is main character Roy’s favorite cake in An American Marriage. His momma makes it for him when he...

Chocolate Chip Confetti Blondies

I've died and gone to baked good heaven with these Chocolate Chip Confetti Blondies. I'm a huge advocate of anything involving sprinkles. In fact, my kitchen has an entire shelf stocked with all different types: rainbow, chocolate, sanding sugar, nonpareils, Christmas, Easter, fall, winter, ombre shades of various colors... Let's just say: you name it, I probably have it. I may or may not have a sprinkle hoarding problem (Okay, I do. I DO.) And...

Citrus Breeze Ice Cream (Recipe Inspired by HELLO, SUMMER)

Nothing says “Hello, Summer” like Citrus Breeze Ice Cream. Confession: I've wanted to do an ice cream riff on the ever-popular Man Catcher Cake for awhile. That cake's subtle hints of orange, lemon, and vanilla have everyone scraping their dessert plates and asking for seconds. However, I didn’t have a book to pair with this culinary brain child. So, the idea for “Man Catcher Ice Cream" just kinda sat around for a bit. Until......

Cinnamon Raisin Scones

Cinnamon Raisin Scones are a celebration of all things cinnamon. And, who couldn't use a little celebration right now?   The Origin Story of Cinnamon Raisin Scones 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...

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

These Blood Orange and Rose Water Fairy Cakes are plucked straight from my childhood tea party dreams.   Why are Blood Orange and Rose Water Fairy Cakes the book-inspired recipe for Little Darlings? Little Darlings is about a woman whose babies are snatched away by fairies. As soon as I finished reading the book, I started scouring the Internet for fairy-related recipes. I quickly stumbled upon Fairy Cakes and immediately fell in love...

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....