A Well-Read Tart

A Food and Book Lover’s Blog

Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (Recipe Inspired by AUNT DIMITY’S CHRISTMAS)

These Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are bringing the Christmas spirit! Because, is it even Christmas without cookies? And candy canes?? And chocolate???  I think not.  Main character Lori in Aunt Dimity’s Christmas becomes obsessed with creating the perfect Christmas for her family, which includes a lot of cookie baking. Her favorite cookies are “Angel Cookies,” the recipe for which is in the back of the book.   I was planning...

Apple Crumble (Recipe Inspired by HOUR OF THE WITCH

“My apple crumble is by far the most crumble-est.” Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to say that in a blog post??? AWHILE. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, head here to be educated on the awesomeness of The Lonely Island’s “I'm So Humble.”  For those of you already in the know: *high five* Let’s move on to our book-inspired recipe for Hour of the Witch. Boiled apples are pretty pivotal in main character Mary...

Authentic Anisette Cookies (Recipe Inspired by THE BAKESHOP AT PUMPKIN AND SPICE)

I hate Anisette Cookies with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns. Yeah, I said it. A food blogger started off her own blog post by saying "I hate these cookies." However, my husband adores them. He loves whenever I make them. #TheThingsWeDoForLove He can't get enough of all things anisette, anise, or licorice. If you're anything like him, then YOU'RE WELCOME for this recipe.  I’m gonna be frank with you – if you don’t like the...

Totally Different Chocolate Chip Cookies (Recipe Inspired by RECIPE FOR A PERFECT WIFE)

Full disclosure: these Totally Different Chocolate Chip Cookies are unlike any other chocolate chip cookie you've tasted.  So different, in fact, that I debated posting this recipe. I even debated calling them "chocolate chip cookies."  In the end, though, these cookies were just SO. FREAKIN'. GOOD. that I decided it'd be selfish to keep them to myself. (You're welcome. Manners cost nothing.) Even though I've already paid homage to my...

Amazing Carrot Cake (Recipe Inspired by LOVE LIKE THAT)

I swore that I'd never make a carrot cake for the blog. But I've broken that promise to bring you the book-inspired recipe for Love Like That. Because just look at this book cover. How could I not bake a carrot cake for this post?? For years, I've disliked carrot cake. Loathed it, in fact. Every version I've tried has been dry and tasteless.  A few years ago, at the insistence of some co-workers at an office party (oh, the things we do under...

Miami Vice Cookies (Recipe Inspired by THE NEWCOMER)

Listen up, Tartlets! I'm bringing you summertime vibes in cookie form with Miami Vice Cookies. Before we go any further, let me clear one thing up: when I say "Miami Vice," I am not talking about the TV show. I'm talking about a DRINK. You all know that I don't love alcohol; I don't care for wine or beer or cocktails or anything like that. A Shirley Temple is my I'm-At-A-Bar beverage of choice. The exception to my hatred of alcohol is a Miami...

Super Simple Lemonade (Recipe Inspired by WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING)

Get ready to beat the heat with Super Simple Lemonade. This is the lemonade I drink on repeat every summer. It’s the lemonade that I serve at BBQs, potlucks, holidays -- pretty much any warm-weather shindig going on at my house will have a pitcher of this on the table (along with my homemade iced tea). Why is Super Simple Lemonade the book-inspired recipe for When No One Is Watching? The entire time I was reading When No One is Watching, all I...

Chocolate Orange Truffles (Recipe Inspired by THE PULL OF THE STARS)

A new door into the World of Desserts has opened for me, thanks to Chocolate Orange Truffles. Say it with me: "Homemade chocolate." Sounds daunting, right? Like, sure, maybe you could do it, but only if you had way more time on your hands. Or, if you were a character in a Hallmark movie fleeing to Europe after a bad breakup. WRONG. Get ready to be amazed, Tartlets. Making Chocolate Orange Truffles is way easier than I ever thought candy-making...

Bara Brith (Recipe Inspired by THE BONE HOUSES)

How did I go all these years of my life without ever tasting Bara Brith? This Welsh tea bread is a little like a scone, a little like a fruitcake, and a LOT like something I want to eat everyday for the rest of my life. The Bone Houses is steeped in Welsh folklore, and one of the first foods mentioned in the book is Bara Brith, a traditional Welsh teatime treat. Bara Brith is literally a tea cake – you steep dried fruit in tea and mix it into...

Raspberry Rose Profiteroles (Recipe inspired by THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LA RUE)

Making Raspberry Rose Profiteroles is back-breaking work. Wait, no, I’m totally kidding! These profiteroles are my first book-inspired recipe since my back surgery, so let’s just say that easing back into food blogger life is…interesting. I actually picked Raspberry Rose Profiteroles to launch my comeback because they are so super easy to make. There was a time I made profiteroles on the regular because they were one of the few...