108 Asian Cookies: Not-Too-Sweet Treats from a Third-Culture Kitchen

By Kat Lieu

Growing up as a Canadian-born Vietnamese Chinese American, Kat Lieu sought comfort in the flavors of her youth, like taro and black sesame. But she struggled to find a home for herself as a third-culture baker in American bakeries, online, or in cookbooks.

In the auspiciously titled 108 Asian Cookies, Lieu honors the varied and rich tapestry of Asian cultures and ingredients that inspired these recipes. And along with members from Subtle Asian Baking, the online baking group she founded, are a diverse array of original and member-submitted drool-worthy recipes for cookies and bakes incorporating ingredients from the diaspora, including gochujang, ube, miso, fish sauce, sambal, tahini, matcha, and MSG stirred into each batter and dough. 

Bakers will learn how to whip up both classics and entirely new desserts, such as:

• Spicy chai cookies
• Amaretti cookies with pandan and pistachios
• Taiwanese snowflake crisps
• Milk and cashew burfi
• Salted egg yolk corn flake haystacks
• Mochi brownies
• Matcha and wasabi drop cookies
• And even instant ramen and pho cookies!

At many Asian tables, "not too sweet" is the highest compliment one can give—so whether these recipes are comfortingly familiar or new discoveries, 108 Asian Cookies will surely delight even the most discerning "not too sweet" kitchens for years to come.