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...

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. I found the recipe for this cake a few years ago in Yankee Magazine; I was first attracted by its key ingredient of molasses. Although most people think molasses is reserved for the Christmas season, I happen to enjoy its distinct flavor year-round. It's hard finding a molasses-based dessert...

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...

Valerie’s Cherry Pie Bars (Recipe Inspired by FROM THE KITCHEN OF HALF TRUTH)

A little side note before I jump into this post: The photos you are about to see are the result of a freakin' miracle. I was dutifully trying to get ahead in my blog work, so I decided to block off a Sunday to cook and photograph all my December post recipes in one day. I've done this before and, while it's exhausting, it's extremely helpful in terms of freeing up time later on. I had three recipes scheduled for that Sunday, but I was only able...

Chai Latte Bars (Recipe Inspired by THE EVER AFTER)

The recipe inspired by The Ever After has to be based around a latte. It has to. After all, that’s what started the story. Josie was waiting for her husband to bring her a latte when she discovered the incriminating texts on his phone. If it weren’t for that fateful latte from Starbucks, Josie might never have known about her husband’s affair. And we might never have had such a great book to read. I’m not a coffee drinker, so the fact...

Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon and Cream

Happy three-day weekend, all! I hope some of you managed your vacation time better than I did and have more than three days off to head to the beach, the mountains, or just your own backyard for some much needed R&R. Whatever your plans are for the holiday break, though, I'm sure there's going to be a BBQ in your future. Husband and I made these grilled peaches a few weeks ago, and they were so good that I just cannot keep the recipe to...

Easy Orange Almond Flour Cake

Hey guys! So, I’m working on my manuscript this week, which means that I haven’t had time to do much reading. I started Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman, and I’m really loving it even though I’m only, like, five pages in. Josh Malerman wowed me last year when I finally read his 2009 novel Bird Box, and I’m totes excited for this new one from him. However, I had to take a break from it this week because I don’t like to read something by...

Chocolate Espresso Mousse (Recipe inspired by IN A COTTAGE IN A WOOD)

It's summertime, which means that although I will perpetually crave cake, I must concede that the best dessert on a hot, steamy night is a chilled one. Enter: Chocolate Espresso Mousse. This recipe goes along with my latest read, In a Cottage in a Wood. If you read my review, you'll know that there were not many cozy cottage suppers in this novel. Neve, the main character, doesn’t have a lot of money and is a bit of a mess, so she's not...

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake (Recipe inspired by THE HIGH TIDE CLUB)

Oh, my goodness. So much good food mentioned in The High Tide Club. Much like The Hideaway, this story draws on its Southern roots to tantalize your taste buds. Imagine sipping cocktails at sunset while overlooking the bay on summer evening; platters of crispy fried chicken and buttery biscuits heaped in front of you for lunch; a chocolate cake tucked into a wicker basket for a midnight picnic on the beach. SIGN. ME. UP. For all of it. And I...