Bakes & Books: Part Two

Two of my favorite pastimes include reading a good book and noshing on a delicious treat! As such, I genuinely enjoy pairing my reading snacks and current novel accordingly. In this fun roundup, I’ve gathered seven books that I love with seven different recipes. Hopefully you’ll discover a good book and enjoy a sweet treat after you check out this list.

 

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Spoiler Alert

 

I will do my absolute best to avoid any spoilers in the brief descriptions of these seven fantastic bakes and books. That being said, I’ve been keeping a running list of bakes and books for the past few years and some of the details have grown a bit foggy. 

I may not be able to tell you why a book pairs so well with the chosen bake, but know that this food obsessed book addict picked that recipe for that book for a reason. I’ll do my best to explain without spoiling anything!

 

 

Stupid and Contagious + Cinnamilk Cupcakes

 

Stupid and Contagious has been one of my most favorite books for well over a decade. Any time I wonder why, I pick it up and find myself in tears from laughing my butt off. It is a goofy, touching story about the two main characters trying to make CinnaMilk a thing.

CinnaMilk is basically the cereal milk leftover from a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. So I let this inspire me to create Cinnamilk Cupcakes! They are delicious cupcakes infused with that iconic cinnamilk flavor in the cupcake batter and buttercream.

 

The Storyteller + Chocolate Rolls

 

Jodi Picoult is a master at weaving stories that place you smack dab in the middle of some ethical dilemma that has no true solution. She strikes again with The Storyteller. This novel follows Sage, a baker (shoutout to my girl), who befriends an elderly gentleman with a shocking past. Her grandmother’s own tale of being a Holocaust survivor is woven into the story.

Minka, Sage’s grandmother, talks about the chocolate rolls her father made in his own bakery when she was a girl. The soft dough was wrapped around a filling of cinnamon and chocolate. These chocolate rolls were based off of Jodi Picoult’s recipe.

 

 

Little Fires Everywhere + S’mores Macarons

 

I read Little Fires Everywhere with my bookclub back in 2020, so it’s been a hot minute. It’s a drama that follows the nomadic duo of Mia and Pearl. Mia has a dark, mysterious past that is in danger of being uncovered.

For no reason that I can recall, I made a note to pair this book with something s’mores. Ultimately, I went with s’mores macarons. At some point, someone eats s’mores. I don’t remember this being a major plot point, but it happened and got itself put on my list of bakes and books.

 

Related Reading: Bakes & Books: Part One

 

A Court Of Thorns And Roses + Rose Chai Cupcakes

 

A Court of Thorns and Roses is the first book in the ACOTAR series. Feyre is a young human woman who unknowingly commits a serious crime against the Fae. As punishment, she is forced to live in their lands, under the care of Tamlin, High Lord of the Spring Court.

The majority of this book takes place in the Spring Court, which is brimming with flowers and plants thanks to the eternal Spring season. There is a bit of spice and romance in the book as well. With that in mind, I chose my rose chai cupcakes as the perfect pairing for this story.

 

Poison Study + Death By Dark Chocolate Cake

 

Maria V Snyder, if you ever read this, know that I have loved every book you have ever written. In Poison Study, Yelena chooses to become the royal food taster rather than face execution. She develops magical powers that she can’t control, which is especially dangerous since magic is banned in Ixia. 

This book was particularly suited for Death by Dark Chocolate Cake. Chocolate, or theobroma, is an important element to the plot of this fantasy novel. Not to mention that every bite of food that Yelena takes could mean instant death.

 

 

Verity + Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

 

Colleen Hoover, so hot right now. She has a bangin’ name, no doubt, but her books are also riveting. My absolute favorite is Verity. Lowen, a struggling writer takes a job to finish writing a novel by another famous author who was in an accident and is now catatonic.  She moves in with the family and soon learns more than she bargained for. 

Lowen must now figure out what is true and what is fiction before it’s too late. In that process, she makes a birthday cake. Your classic yellow cake with chocolate frosting. So whip up a batch of vanilla cupcake with chocolate buttercream as you stress eat your way through this suspenseful novel.

 

Throne of Glass + Chocolate Rosemary Cake

 

Throne of Glass is the second book (I said what I said) in the Throne of Glass series. Celeana is an assassin fighting to become the King’s Champion and earn her freedom from a brutal slave mine. But something sinister is lurking in the castle and picking off competitors one by one.

Celaena’s past is a mystery. She was born in a northern kingdom, but taken from her land at a young age by the King of the Assassins. Throughout the novel, she thinks about the evergreens and crisp air of her homeland. She’s also got a massive sweet tooth, especially for chocolate, and doubly so for chocolate cake. Naturally, I suggest pairing this book with my chocolate rosemary cake.

 

 

Happy Baking

 

I hope you get to enjoy some of these bakes and books soon! These books and sweet treats are sure to keep you entertained and satisfied during some much needed you time. If you’ve read any of the books on this list, let me know what you think of the recipe I chose to pair it with. 

You should probably make sure to pin this list on Pinterest too. Next time you’re in need of a good book, you’ll be able to find this roundup in no time. Happy Baking!