When was the last time you opened a cookbook and felt instantly hungry, nostalgic, curious, and inspired all at once? That’s the experience of leafing through Kat Lieu’s 108 Asian Cookies: Not-Too-Sweet Treats from a Third-Culture Kitchen—a dazzling, 400-page love letter to cookies that refuses to be pigeonholed as simply “dessert.” From the first shimmering photograph to the final creative recipe, this book rewrites what a cookie can be. You can purchase a copy at https://www.modernasianbaking.com/ or win this yummy book in our Giveaway section.
Lieu, a Canadian-born Vietnamese Chinese American and founder of the global Subtle Asian Baking community, isn’t just offering a collection of recipes—she’s sharing her third-culture kitchen and inviting every baker into it. Growing up straddling cultures, she searched for a place where her own beloved flavors fit in; with this book, she not only finds that place but builds an entirely new one for all of us to explore.
What is unique about 108 Asian Cookies from other baking books is its unapologetic use of ingredients that define diasporic flavor—ube, pandan, miso, gochujang, fish sauce, sambal, matcha, even MSG—carefully balanced into batters and doughs that are not too sweet but deeply, memorably flavorful. Many Asian home kitchens prize that balance, and Lieu champions it with playful finesse.
But don’t be fooled: this is no niche cookbook hidden in the back corner of a bookstore. The recipes range from the comfortingly familiar (think spicy ginger chai cookies or easy cashew burfi) to the utterly delightful and unexpected (salted egg yolk cornflake haystacks and instant ramen and pho cookies!). There are classics reimagined and brand-new creations that tease both the palate and the imagination.
And the magic goes beyond ingredients. Lieu’s storytelling—woven through introductions and personal notes—adds emotional depth, turning each cookie into a chapter of experience, migration, memory, or celebration. Many of her community members’ own recipes and influences make an appearance too, giving the book a shared-table feeling that’s both warm and expansive.
One such recipe is Cheat Code Chinese Peanut Cookies, called 花生餠 (fā sāng béng), and a popular Lunar New Year staple that you can make in our Recipe section. The lunar celebrations take place this year from February 17 to 27. Enjoy some authentic cookies while exploring the Year of the Horse.
From the food-nerd perspective, what I found most thrilling is how Lieu uses the humble cookie as a canvas—not just for taste but for cultural storytelling. Each recipe feels like a conversation between East and West, between memory and innovation. There’s serious craft here (beware overbaking, heed her ingredient notes!), but there’s also joy and play. www.instagram.com/katlieu
In a market flooded with cookie books, 108 Asian Cookies is unique not just because of its creativity, but because it gently reshapes how we think about dessert—less sugary treat, more expression of heritage and curiosity. Whether you’re a seasoned baker eager to experiment or a curious cook ready to expand your repertoire, this is one cookbook that truly rewards exploration, and then some. More than a recipe collection, this book is an invitation—to bake boldly, to taste with intention, and to savor the “not too sweet” moments that linger long after the last crumb is gone.
Contents and images from 108 ASIAN COOKIES by Kat Lieu. Copyright © 2025 by Kathleen Lieu. Photograph by Charity Burggraaf. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved. https://www.modernasianbaking.com/