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

by Kat Lieu

A first-of-its-kind collection of mouthwatering cookie recipes inspired by Asian flavors and techniques, from Cantonese Shortbread to Ube Linzer Cookies, from IACP award finalist and bestselling cookbook author Kat Lieu

If baking was one big epic tournament, and all the baked goodies in the world were delicious warriors, there’s no doubt in Kat Lieu's mind that the cookie would be the ultimate champion. Why? Because the cookie, so often underestimated by its compact size, is a baking powerhouse, a shapeshifting canvas.

This very adaptability endears the cookie to the masses, and it's no wonder that everyone has a favorite cookie (or two). Beyond their flavors, cookies represent a multitude of stories, with each baker infusing a fragment of their journey into every batch. In Lieu's own baking, she's discovered pieces of her spirit, heritage, and dreams stirred into the batter and dough, each cookie a chapter of a larger narrative waiting to be savored and shared.

108 Asian Cookies is an ode to this personal and intimate world of cookies—a world as varied and rich as the tapestry of Asian cultures and ingredients that inspired these recipes. Some of the cookies reflect Lieu's third-culture identity as a Canadian-born Vietnamese Chinese American while other recipes blend flavors and stories from across Asia and its diasporas. And some recipes are by members of Subtle Asian Baking, the global online baking group Lieu founded in 2020. The recipes here aren't just about introducing black sesame, pandan, miso, and ube into the cookie these 108 cookies will also dive into timeless recipes passed down through generations, the ones that meld our personal histories with broader ones—that of colonization and immigration, of adapting and settling, of practicality and creativity.

With 108 Asian Cookies as your guide, your kitchen will be filled with sweet—just not too sweet—desserts.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking, Food, Asian Literature

400 pages, Hardcover

Published October 14, 2025

About the author

Kat Lieu, formerly a doctor of physical therapy, fell in love with baking. She is currently a full-time author and recipe developer at modernasianbaking.com. Originally from New York City, she now calls Washington state her home. Lieu is also the founder of a popular online baking group called Subtle Asian Baking (SAB). You can find more of her recipes and creations on her Instagram and TikTok, @subtleasian.baking.

Kat's first #veryasian baking cookbook, Modern Asian Baking at Home, will be out on June 21, 2022. Prior to writing cookbooks, Kat wrote young-adult romcoms featuring Asian American heroines.

Reviews

[Yodamom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the 4 recipes I made from this book I returned my library copy and bought my own copy. It's beautiful, easy to follow recipes with some fantastic flavors. There isn't a recipe in it that I don't want to try. The cookies are treats without being too sweet, and would make perfect gift cookies. The Miso Shortbread cookies recipe was a hit for us and all my neighbors.
I recommend this book 100%, as a gift, for yourself or you friends.

[Mikey ಠ◡ಠ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this book on preorder since foreverrrrrr but when I saw it pop up on NetGalley I simply couldn't resist the temptation of taking a peek at the cookies and goodies that were in store for me inside this book!

As a fellow chaotic kitchen wizard, there's a lot that I really appreciate about this book. I love that the author stated she wrote this book to address a lack of diversity in baking, something I have also noted. I think I own almost every Asian baking recipe book other there and it barely fills half of one of my bookshelves. I acknowledge there are other cultures and there are a few baking recipe books but I defy you to find more than the few, the mere handful that have been published. The author also addresses the racist myth surrounding MSG (would you believe someone in 1968 just...published a racist idea? You would? Me too!) and explains specifically why she chose 108 cookies (I'll let Kat tell you herself) AND adds a difficulty rating to her recipes, something I always wish and dream from even as an intermediate baker. Honestly and truly the love of baking and an eagerness to share culture through cooking and baking drips and melts from these pages like butter.

I can already tell this will be a recipe book I reference as much if not more than I do Mayumu (by Abi Balingit). I'm not joking or overexaggerating when I say every single recipe, every cookie, brownie, and treat calls to me like a siren singing to me from her ocean of sugar and happiness. Say less, imaginary siren, let me dash myself upon gochujang and berry jam chocolate thumbprints. Allow me to drive into matcha and wasabi drop cookies. Watch as I wade into soy sauce chocolate chip cookies. I simply MUST float upon pho cookies.

Is it October 14th yet? I'm getting hungry!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tiffany ✨️ Bergamot Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a dedicated hobby baker and I adore trying sweets and confectionaries from all over the world. I was actually set on pre-ordering this book when I saw it pop up on NetGalley and knew I had to get a sneak peek.

This is exactly what I expected from the author. Her recipes are detailed, concise and beautiful. They often pull sweet and spicy palates together, along with savory umami treats and traditional sugary classics. I knew I was in love the second I saw gochujang cookies and chili crisp cookie skillets, tossed alongside soy sauce chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles with five spice!

The book also includes tons of photos to go along with each section, for anyone that needs to visualize the end product as they bake.

All in all it's a perfect addition to any bakers bookshelf, and I can't wait to start in on them!

*****

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of 108 Asian Cookies.

I was not prepared for the inventiveness, originality, and thoughtfulness that went into 1 08 Cookies.

The author, who also founded the online baking community Subtle Asian Baking, has crafted a collection of recipes that showcases her culinary talents and creativity but also honors the contributions of her family, friends, and her community members.

The cookbook celebrates the incredible variety of flavors, ingredients, and traditions that span the Asian diaspora and makes it an unique addition to any baker's library.

The author uses ingredients like sriracha, miso, matcha, ube, and black sesame (my fave!) into recipes (ramen cookies!) that may be uncomfortable and unfamiliar to the average baker but don't be afraid!

Give all cookies a chance!

I won't lie; some of the recipes turned me off.

I don't like mixing sweet and savory and spicy is the least of my favorite tastes.

But I can't deny the recipes are very imaginative and makes you think "Hmm..I wonder what that tastes like."

And that's the point of 108 Cookies - to keep you guessing, wondering, creating, experimenting and pursuing.

As a creative (in any industry) it pays to think outside your box and bake (cook, write, paint, etc) your way out of your comfort zone.

There are vivid photographs of almost every recipe and the cookies are visually appealing, even the ones I'm so-so about making (much less eat!)

The instructions are clear though the formatting on Kindle contained numerous errors and looked wonky.

Some of the recipes had many steps, nothing complicated, but many ingredients and layers to a particular cookie calls for more time and energy.

I enjoyed the author's origin story behind each cookie, how each cookie came to life and how the idea occurred to her.

Her reminiscences growing up in a third culture, straddling the line between being Canadian and Asian American was so relatable, as many children of immigrants will be able to understand.

This is a beautiful and organized collection of recipes that celebrates culture, community, and creativity.

Ms. Lieu has demonstrated that Asian foods are more than just your basic Americanized stereotypes, not all our foods are laden with soy sauce and MSG.

Her incredible cookies honors the rich traditions of Asian cuisine and will inspire bakers (and future bakers) to think (and bake) outside their comfort zone.

Even me!

[Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely gorgeous! The organization of this book and large print are super helpful, and I love how each recipe has a difficulty rating and special notes for ingredient substitutions for allergies and dietary restrictions, which is so thoughtful and considerate.

The recipe descriptions and instructions are all clear and easy to follow, but if you have questions, Kat and her community are very friendly and happy to help out.

I love all of the colors and the playful way this book was written. The personal stories are so endearing and heartwarming, they might make you cry, in a good way. It’s very evident this book was written with a lot of love and care. You might not want to read this book on an empty stomach. The images are so clear with actual sizes, it looks like you can pull the cookies directly out of the pages. Every time I open the book, it makes me hungry, which can a be a bit challenging, since every recipe includes an image, which are all so stunning, inspiring, and absolutely beautiful!

[Stephany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful cookbook! I love all the colorful photos and all of the recipes I’ve tried so far have all been fantastic (the chai rye cookie and the matcha monster were the best so far, 100/10)
It helped me break out of my comfort zone and try a few new flavors

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been following Kat on IG after being introduced to her content with a chocolate rice recipe that went off the rails. I was surprised that people were so disgusted by the idea of chocolate and rice together, and amused at how Kat took this in stride but also never lets people push her around. She's outspoken, confident, unapologetic, and smart as hell. When I saw she had this cookie book coming out, I pre-ordered it, and eagerly awaited the arrival. The book is a beautifully put together narrative of her experiences as a mother, her Asian heritage, her creativity, and her experimentation. Her takes on classic cookies like the chocolate chip amplify the flavor and are still easy to put together.

The first recipe I made was the Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies (page 41) and I was excited to use almost entirely local (Singaporean) brands for it. As a huge milo fan, I had to try this one first as it calls for milo. Instead of salt, she opts to use red miso paste (which was also in the chocolate rice!) and this provides a real depth of flavor that enhances the chocolate chips used. Instead of tasting just like regular semi-sweet chips, it lifts them to taste like a more complex dark chocolate with a slight fermented flavor you get from a nicer quality bar. The cookies really shine the second day after the flavors have set. They have the perfect chew, aren't too sweet, and have a soft center. I brought my husband some of them with a glass of milk and as we were eating them he looked at me and said, "do we have to share these with anyone else?" I laughed and said I'd make some for friends later, to which he replied "okay good" and he ate another one. Multiple times he commented, "damn, these cookies are really good!"

The recipes in this book bring a fantastic and much needed update to many classics. We have all had a toll house chocolate chip cookie that is super sweet, an under spiced snickerdoodle, a one dimensional ginger snap, a buttery shortbread that is good but could use something more. In comes Kat with her adaptations that many westerners might raise an eyebrow to (don't) but trust me (hi, I'm a white girl from the US south), you NEED to make these. You need to branch out, stop yucking the yums of another culture, embrace umami, and for the love of god, use more pandan.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great flavor inspo, but be prepared to tweak or modify many of the recipes for better results. Kat admits she’d only baked her first cookie a few years before publishing this book, and started baking a few more years before that. I brushed this off initially - people can learn a lot in that time! But after trying a few recipes it was clear that they needed some kind of modification that maybe a more experienced baker would have picked up on. A few examples:

• The matcha-cardamom blondies had great flavor, but I would describe them as a light and airy tea-cake. There is no density or fudgeiness to the centers nor chew to the crust that one would expect from a blondie or brownie. It’s cake. It was good cake! It’s just definitely…not a blondie. In the future I’d probably use a completely different blondie recipe and just use Kat’s matcha-cardamom idea for the flavor.

• I tried the Taiwanese snowflake crisps and followed the recipe to a T but was surprised at how thin/flat they came out. I did some research and noticed that while most online recipes include a cup or more of milk powder, Kat’s recipe only includes one tablespoon. That’s a huge difference! More milk powder would mean they will come out taller, fluffier, and more nougat-like, which is how these crisps are typically meant to be. Kat offers no reasoning/explanation for this big difference from most other versions of this treat.

• I was excited for the sesame rice krispies, because I love anything black sesame flavored, and because I frequently make rice krispies for parties and events since they’re easy and such a crowd-pleaser. I was disappointed in these, though. The sesame flavor just isn’t that strong - my partner said if she’d blind tasted them, she might not have guessed they were supposed to be sesame. They also don’t call for milk powder so they got hard rather quickly (it’s well-known that milk powder mixed in with the melted butter helps keep them softer over time). I found this a bit odd since quite a few of Kat's other recipes in this book do call for milk powder, but not this one. Next time, I’ll probably use my tried-and-true peanut butter krispie recipe from a different source and swap the p.b. for tahini, then use Kat’s ideas for sesame paste, miso, and sesame seeds and see if I get a stronger flavor and better texture.

Overall, I bought this book because I’ve been home-baking for many years, and love Japanese, Korean, and Chinese desserts and traditional flavors. I’ve been leaning more towards cookies lately so I thought this book would be perfect for me. I loved the stories Kat wove about each category and the merging of cultures evident in the recipes; the way the book is laid out; the photographs; and the great flavor combination inspiration. I did not love how the recipes I’ve tried so far all seem to be a little under-tested and will require some degree of experimenting and modification to really “get right.”

I can’t necessarily recommend this one for a beginner at baking because they will require some knowledge of what to tweak and modify (amount of eggs, yolks vs whites, protein content of different flours, etc.) to get the result you’re looking for.

Overall I’m left feeling like these recipes serve as a great jumping-off point or inspiration, and leave me feeling excited about potential flavor combinations, but would be better served using more tried-and-true base recipes from other sources. Everything I've made so far from this book comes with a "These would definitely be better if they had..." or "Next time, I'm going to tweak xyz because..." I haven't found one that feels perfect straight out of the book, but willing to keep trying.

[Leane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A colorful layout, vibrant photography, and thoughtful writing add to the 108 delicious, and sometimes, unusual recipes in this stunning book. As an old white broad this was also an enlightening education on what to me were exotic ingredients and combinations of flavors. Obvious from the first dedication page, this baking book also celebrates the author’s Asian heritage and her passion for creating delicious treats. In the Introduction she shares her reasons for this book and explains her third-culture identity and how she was born in Canada to a Chinese mother from Hong Kong and a Chinese Vietnamese father from Vietnam and raised in Montreal and Coney Island. In many ways, this cookbook is a love letter to the array of Asian cultures that suffuse the flavors and ingredients of this book. She “sprinkles” bits of her heart with anecdotes and memories from her life mixed with the recipes, explains the reason for the number 108, explains how the ingredient MSG is misunderstood and makes a good case for how the disparity in cultural representation that favors Western cuisine and white authors also misrepresents, appropriates, or oversimplifies non-Western ingredients and cuisine. The book also has a How-To-Use section, includes Tools and Equipment, Essential Cookie Pantry Essentials with short definitions for ingredients like Baker’s Ammonia, Sago, Pandan, Ube, Miso, and so many others (which was really helpful to me). Lieu structures the book with chapters on Cookie Box Essentials, Brownies, Blondies, and Bars, Cookies with a Kick, Umami Unleashed, Modern Alchemy and Delightful Fusions, and Special Occasion and Holiday Cookies, plus Life is a Box of Not-Too-Sweet Treats. The book ends with Acknowledgments and an Index. Each recipe has a color photo, a list of ingredients, labels like gluten-free when applicable, and estimated prep time and degree of difficulty with explanations. One of the few criticisms I have is that few recipes are on one-page but that is a personal thing. I look forward to experimenting with Old-Fashioned Cantonese Shortbread, Fudgy Brownies with Dalgona Coffee, Coffee Bean Cookies, Miso and Hot-Chocolate Brownie Cookies and a few recipes that include soy sauce and sriracha. Endless possibilities for palate expanding! This is for any baker who likes to experiment and incorporate new ingredients and has little to great baking experience. Readalikes may be Lieu’s first book, Modern Asian Baking, Lisa He’s Matcha Meets Macaron, Catherine Zhang’s Mochi, Cakes & Bakes, or cookie cookbooks by Zoë François, Christina Tosi, and Edd Kimber.

[Zara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kat Lieu's 108 Asian Cookies is a gorgeous collection of unique, flavorful recipes aimed at being more than a standard baking book. The recipes are an exploration of what cookies can be when you mix fun ingredients, rich culture, and the willingness to experiment. The recipes themselves are arranged into different categories: essentials, classics Asian cookies and treats, brownies and bars, cookies with a kick, umami experiments, modern fusions, festive bakes, and an ode to the not-too-sweet philosophy. The structure is neat, the bakes are extremely creative, and the photos accompanying the recipes are STUNNING. The visuals alone make you want to drop everything, grab a mixing bowl, and get to work.

What struck me most, though, was Kat’s introduction. She opens up about her heritage and how her baking journey began, weaving her personal story into the fabric of the recipes. Reading her words felt deeply relatable. I also found my way into baking during the pandemic, and after losing my father in 2021, the kitchen became both an outlet and a source of comfort for me. Seeing Kat share her own experiences so openly made the book feel that much more personal.

I'm going through a journey of baking different recipes from the book, but and it has already been such a rewarding experience. So far, I’ve tried the Mango Lassi Cookies, Ube Halaya Brownies, Bourbon and Fish Sauce Cookies, and Snickerdoodles with Five Spice. Each recipe has surprised me in the best way, and what ties them all together is Kat’s philosophy of “not too sweet,” which lets every ingredient shine without being overpowered.

108 Asian Cookies is definitely the kind of book that makes you excited to bake something new. I know I’ll keep reaching for it, both to try more recipes and to revisit the ones that have already earned a spot in my regular rotation!

[Caity · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a well done cookbook every detail is so well thought out and beautifully crafted. I really appreciate the intro explaining the way the book is set up and the food science behind why certain ingredients are used in the recipes and when swaps can be made or should be avoided. This continues in recipes where swaps are suggested when appropriate to change flavor profiles or when ingredients may be hard to find. Each recipe also has a difficulty rating and an explanation for the star rating which is really helpful for planning your baking time and helpful for less experienced bakers. The photography is beautifully done, fun, and mouthwatering. I am so excited to try these recipes. I was already pretty much sold on needing this cookbook in my life when I went to the bookstore, but what sealed the deal was every employee that saw me with it told me about how their cookbook club had tested some of the recipes and they were a huge hit with the staff. I left with a couple different recommendations for which cookies to start with and after reading through the book I have several more I am dying to try.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kat Lieu captured me at: 'chaotic kitchen wizard' (growing up, I was one too, and still try to be from time to time).

This was a beautifully assembled cookbook - it hit all the notes: the homage to her family history and places shes lived, the recipe notes where the inspiration comes from and the truly fun flavors.

I'm not a huge sweets person and definitely prefer the more savory + less sugary versions (probably why section 8 is looking to be my fav). My kid enjoyed the loose interpretation of cookies too (scones, cheesecake, brownies, etc). They've already made a list of recipes we must try asap (which includes all of section 6).

Top of their list is the:
- Lace Cookies with Miso Caramel & Sesame
- Pandan Coconut, and Cardamom Ladoo
- Ube Halaya Brownies
- Spicy Ginger Chai Cookies (these look so good)
- Japanese Sweet Potato Cookies
- Miso Pistachio Pudding Cookies
- Masala Macaroons

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

"108 Asian Cookies is an ode to this personal and intimate world of cookies—a world as varied and rich as the tapestry of Asian cultures and ingredients that inspired these recipes. Some of the cookies reflect Lieu's third-culture identity as a Canadian-born Vietnamese Chinese American while other recipes blend flavors and stories from across Asia and its diasporas."

This is a GREAT cookbook. The problem with many cookie cookbooks is that they're often a retread of familiar recipes-chocolate chip, shortbread, peanut butter etc. This book takes a look at these familiar recipes and gives them new life with the inclusion of non-traditional flavours and ingredients. Chili crisp chocolate skillet cookies? YES. Ube Linzer cookies? HECK YEAH. White Rabbit sugar cookies? SIGN ME UP. Absolutely worth buying this book and make sure you follow the author on socials!

I received a free ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

[LittleRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many cookies, so little time to bake and eat them all. But I will work my way through this overtime. I was actually intrigued by the Matcha and wasabi drop cookies so I had to try those. My family were not pleased when I told them what type of cookies they were. But they tried them because I didn’t make any other kind of cookies. It was either that or nothing. Well, they were quite pleased! You wouldn’t think they taste so good when you think about it, but that’s just that don’t think about it, just try the!

Now I’m going to work my way through the rest of the cookies in this book over the course of the next year. My family even wants to go in on the cookie making action after a tasting at first batch. They’ve already picked their second and put together a shopping list. We’re obviously going to be up in our game for the cookie exchange this Christmas.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The recipes in this book look amazing! I love Kat (the author)'s creative ways of combining Asian flavors with Western cookies/flavors. As someone who lived in Asia, many of these recipes will be fun to try. The cookies topping that list are probably: Ube Linzer Cookies, One Bowl Rice Cake Bars, Black Sesame and Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats, Miso Pistachio Pudding Cookies, Bubble Tea Cookies, Matcha Melting Moments with Strawberry Buttercream, and Thai-Tea Ice Cream Sandwiches.

This book is definitely going on my Christmas Wishlist.

Side note: if you're an American wanting to make the recipes in here, most of the ingredients can easily be sourced online or in an Asian Supermarket, so don't be afraid to try something new!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t really want to give this less than 5, but I haven’t tried any recipes yet. Thankful to have a well-stocked Asian grocery store near me to test out some new-to-me flavor combos!

The photos are stunning and the stories are heartfelt. The difficulty ratings are helpful, and I like that time estimates given, too. One minor nitpick is I wish that the instructions were more consistent—for instance, especially when specifying how much cookie dough to scoop. Sometimes it’s “1 tablespoon” and sometimes it’s “about 20 cookie balls” and sometimes it’s “30 or 35g of dough.”

I appreciate the intro to ingredients in the beginning and I liked that they didn’t waste space on explaining what tools you need, instead just putting a list on one page.

[Kerbuhbuhbear · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown and company for the ARC of 108 Asian Cookies by Kat Lieu.

I love Kat Lieu's work. As an Asian American adoptee, I resonate with the idea of being a "third culture" person. Although I grew up in America, I've been slowly regaining knowledge of my homeland of Taiwan, and incorporating that into my wholly American upbringing.

I enjoy how Kat takes Western recipes and gives them an Asian flare and how she explains the cultural significance of things and why she wrote this book.

As a fan of her book, Modern Asian Baking at Home, 108 Cookies offers a sweet, but not too sweet! compliment.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The amount of effort that went into to this cookbook is so apparent! The creativity of the recipes, the bountiful photography, the high quality paper, the notes and alternate suggestions for each recipe! I’ve purchased cookbooks previously from people I follow online and honestly nothing has compared to this in how much time and care and quality were put into them. This is far from being a phoned in cash grab, it’s extremely clear Kat Lieu not only is talented but also wants to deliver to her audience and readers.
This book is now a favorite on my cookbook shelf and I absolutely can’t wait to chip away at the many, many delicious recipes it contains.

[Megan Beech · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid baker and cook as well as a reader, this was a unique cookbook reading experience! There are many recipes that sound so intriguing and with flavor combination, I would've never guessed would work together but apparently they do! Many of the recipes I would have to adapt to my specific food preferences (I have a nut allergy and several recipes including nuts as a main ingredient) but that's what makes half the fun of being a recipe tester!

I'm so excited I got the chance to check out this ARC book and I'd love to thank the author, publisher, Editor, and NetGalley for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa Nuttall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of not too sweet cookie recipes with Asian flavor. I absoluntely agree that most American desserts are too sweet. I love putting miso in everything (it's my secret ingredient to add umami to EVERYTHING) and I'm so excited to see soooo many cookie recipes with miso! I feel like this book is hitting the market at just the right time as I see an increase in the influence of Asian baked goods, flavors and bakeries in the market. I can't wait to try matcha, macadamia nut and white chocolate monsters, snickerdoodles with five spice, Chinese walnut cookies, and matcha and cardamom brown butter blondies. YUM!!!

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous book! I love the idea of cookies/bakes that are not-too-sweet, and maybe even a little spicy and savory. While I haven’t gotten to make anything (review will be updated when that happens), there are a higher number of potentials in here than a more traditional cookie book.
✅ Bourbon and Fish Sauce Cookies
✅ Ginger Snaps w Sichuan Peppercorns
✅ Halo halo inspired cereal treats
✅ Five Spice Snickerdoodles

This is the first cookie book in a long time that feels innovative, and isn’t just simple swaps or over the top sugary add-ins.

[JL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful and a (not too) sweet treat for me. I preorder this book earlier this year and have been counting down the days to get my copy. I've been looking for more not too sweet treats for awhile and there isn't enough time in the day to bake all the goodies in one go! Some of these treats I had as a kid and were never able to find again (looking at you peanut cookies) but to see some in this book makes me so happy because I get to have them again. I really can't wait to purchase some of the ingredients and make cookies for the remainder of this year. Thank you so much Kat!

[Jen McAllister · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written, beautifully photographed book of some of the most dazzling cookies you will ever see and taste. The colors are vivid, thanks to ube and pandan and freeze-dried strawberry. The textures vary from chewy to crunchy to tender. The flavors are powerhouses, bolstered by miso, fish sauce, Ovaltine, and sriracha. And Kat Lieu's voice is a delight: she moves from nostalgia to heartbreak to puckish humor to incisive commentary on cultural dilution in food media. It's just an absolute winner, and I cannot wait to bake my way through the entire book.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

We made some of the snickerdoodles with 5 spice the other night and they were amazing. The house smelled so good, my husband came downstairs just to see what we were making.
I am so excited to try some of the other recipes!
The steps for the recipes are easy to follow and I love reading the short stories before the recipe. I enjoy learning about different cultures and the foods and Kat makes it very approachable by combining traditional American cookies with the Asian flavors.
Definitely add this one to your list and mix up your holiday cookies this year!

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many yummy, easy to follow recipes with all the tips and tricks to customize to your dietary needs, along with the process needed to make them turn out just right! I love a cookbook, but I love a cookbook that teaches me to be a better cook, more! And the cookies are so pretty, a feast for the eyes and the stomach. I cannot wait to make every single recipe (and my kids cannot wait to try them)!

[Reading Fool · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Subtle Asian Baking, Kat Lieu's online space that promotes Asian baking, so I was thrilled to see that this cookbook was published. This is a celebration of Asian "not-too-sweet" treats and of Asian culture. There are classic sweets here, like burfi and ladoo, but also fusions of Eastern and Western treats, like Dash's Chocolate Chips with Furikake Chex Mix (I tried this and it's amazing). I highly recommend this book to any baker, novice or expert.

[Fox Emm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Sensational. This is my first cookie cookbook and it delivered on every possible level. I especially appreciate the way it broadened my horizons in terms of what flavors to expect from cookies. If I could give it 10 stars I would. I am baking new recipes every weekend for the next YEAR. What a gift to give my seasonal depression.

[Kaylee Dunlap · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was sent this book in a goodreads giveaway. thank you author and publisher! i love the pictures, recipes and set up. clean and gorgeous. will be displayed in my kitchen and used often!!! i can’t wait to try some recipes. i am a nut free household (allergies) so i plan to alter some recipes to be safe for me but am really looking forward to experimenting with some nut substitutes!

[Suzanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am LOVING the latest cookbook from Kat Lieu!! It's absolutely stunning and packed with thoughtful recipes, tips, and stories from Kat. The recipes are easy to understand and I love that they aren't too sweet. This is going to turn up my fall/holiday baking in a big way! Pantry's already stocked with miso, MSG, and sesame 🥰

[Heather Gardiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book!
Really enjoyed reading through the recipes and the stories behind them. I did have to buy a bunch of ingredients (like matcha powder, glutinous rice flour etc) but am excited to try all the new (to me) flavour profiles.
I've made a couple of recipes so far and find them easy to follow and very tasty - the most important part!