Amaretti Cookies with Pandan and Pistachios #giveaway #StPatricksDay #recipe Kim Davis

 

KIM DAVIS: Late last year I came across the cookbook, 108 Asian Cookies: Not-Too-Sweet Treats from a Third-Culture Kitchen by Kat Lieu, and fell in love with the gorgeous photos and unique cookie recipes. Naturally I had to add a hardcopy to my cookbook collection. It didn't take long for me to thumb through the pages and land on a naturally gluten-free and dairy-free cookie recipe. (And just so happens to be the cover photo!) With the bright green color provided by pandan extract, I made these cookies for Christmas and shared with friends who also have to eat gluten-free and dairy-free diets. Everyone raved about these chewy, meringue-based cookies that have the perfect balance of sweet and salty. And while I had several other recipes in the cookbook bookmarked to try, I knew I'd be coming back to this recipe again and again. 

Now that St. Patrick's Day is coming up, the color of these cookies fully embrace the holiday, and I knew I needed to make another batch. I had the delight of connecting with Kat Lieu on social media and asked for her and/or her publisher's permission to share the recipe exactly as written. Kat is the essence of graciousness and readily agreed. Plus I have a hardcover, signed copy of her cookbook, 108 Asian Cookies: Not-Too-Sweet Treats from a Third-Culture Kitchen, to give away to one lucky commentor. Keep scrolling to the bottom to see how to enter the contest. 

Amaretti Cookies with Pandan and Pistachios

Ingredients

For the cookies:

2-1/4 cups (225g) almond flour
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1-1/2 teaspoons green pandan extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon red miso (gluten-free if that is a concern)
1/3 cup (43g) pistachios, chopped finely 

For coating and topping the cookies:

1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, in a shallow bowl or plate
1/2 cup (57g) confectioners’ sugar, in a shallow bowl or plate, plus more as needed to dust the cookies
18 whole, roasted almonds
Culinary-grade matcha 

Instructions

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Adjust two racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F).

Make the cookies:

Whisk the almond flour and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until frothy. Add the pandan and almond extracts and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the almond flour mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer, along with the miso and chopped pistachios. Mix on low speed until a thick and cohesive dough forms. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the dough and roll into a ball. Toss in the granulated sugar, then repeat with the confectioners’ sugar to coat thoroughly. Repeat to make 18 balls, spacing them at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. 

Press each dough ball with the bottom of a sugar-coated glass or measuring cup until the cookie edges begin to crack, about 1/2 inch in thickness. Alternatively, skip the flattening step and keep the balls of dough rounded. Press a whole almond into the center of each dough ball.

Bake all the cookies, switching the sheets between top and bottom racks and rotating front to back once halfway through until lightly browned around the edges and cracked, about 25 minutes.

Let the cookies set and cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust the tops with a little more confectioners’ sugar, then some matcha, if using.

Notes

Swap out the almonds for your favorite nut.

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. 

"Excerpted from 108 Asian Cookies: Not-Too-Sweet Treats from a Third-Culture Kitchen by Kat Lieu. Copyright © 2025 by Kathleen Lieu. Photographs in cookbook by Charity Burggraaf. Used with permission from Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company." 

All other photos on this blog post provided by Kim Davis.

 

 

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF of the recipe!💕

Books available at most online retailers

 

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Cupcake Catering Mysteries * Essentials of Murder

 

About the Author:

Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series, and the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series. She has also written several children’s nature articles published in a variety of magazines. Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

She lives in Southern California with her husband and rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines. When she’s not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, working on blogs, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats to share.

Click here to sign up here for Kim’s newsletter: Newsletter

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Connect with Kat Lieu: Instagram, Goodreads, Website

G I V E A W A Y   T I M E !!!

 

To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I'm giving away a signed copy of 
108 Asian Cookies by Kat Lieu! 

Comment below and include your email (yourname at yourserver dot com) for a chance to win 108 Asian Cookies. (Contest ends 11:59pm on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. Contest is limited to US residents only due to shipping rates.)

Readers, do you collect cookbooks? 

Guest @AmandaFlower Peanut Butter Protein Balls #giveaway

MADDIE DAY here, delighted to host my uber-talented friend, Amanda Flower! Her new Truffle Trouble, the tenth Amish Candy Shop mystery, releases at the end of this month, and two lucky commenters will win an audiobook version of Gingerbread Danger, book nine in the series. Amanda brings us a recipe for peanut butter energy balls, something I'm sure she needs in order to write ten (or however many) books a year AND provide a home with her husband for many needy cats.

Take it away, Amanda.

In the name of research for the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries that have been a part of my life for over ten years, I eat a lot of candy. It’s research. It’s work. Don’t judge. However because of that, sometimes I want something sweet that I can at least claim is good for me.

If you are like me, you have seen the seemingly sudden craving for protein all over the place last couple of years. The love or protein is all well and good. However, I am always a vegetarian and sometimes a vegan, so there are challenges to get the protein that people keep telling me that I need. A girl can only eat so much tofu.

So one sweet way that I add more protein to my diet is with these energy balls. They are sweet, delicious, and a great pick me up during the afternoon slump. I should note that I make my with peanut butter and peanut butter chips, but if you have allergies to nuts, you can use any kind of nut butter or sunflower butter instead. Also, the sky is the limit on the kind of chips. I just love peanut butter. Another addition you can make to the recipe is adding protein powder if you are really want to up your grams per day.

Bailey King from the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries would certainly approve of this recipe because she is a woman on the go. With all the jobs she juggles plus solving multiple murders a year in Ohio’s Amish Country, she needs to keep her energy up. I could definitely see her adding these to her offerings at Swissmen Candyworks. She is going to need more offerings too after her wedding and the murder that occurs in during the reception at her candy factory! You can read all about it in Truffle Trouble, the tenth novel in the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, releasing on March 31^st.

Peanut Butter Energy Balls

Ingredients

·       1 ¼ cups old fashioned rolled oats

·       ½ peanut butter

·       ¼ cup chia seeds

·       ½ cup walnuts

·       ¾ cup peanut butter chips

·       2 tablespoons of maple syrup

·       ¼ teaspoon salt

·       ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

·       Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

·       Refrigerate for at least thirty minutes. It makes the balls easier to roll.

·       Roll balls to the desired size.

Enjoy and store in the refrigerator.

Readers: How would you change this recipe to make it your own? I'll give a copy of the Gingerbread Danger audiobook to two lucky commenters (be sure to leave your email address).

Amanda Flower is a USA Today bestselling and three-time Agatha Award-winning author of over fifty mystery novels. Her novels have received starred reviews from Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Romantic Times, and she has been featured in USA Today, First for Women, and Woman’s World. Her first Emily Dickinson Mystery, Because I Could Not Stop for Death, was an Agatha Award winner and Mary Higgins Clark Nominee. Her first mystery featuring the Wright Brothers, To Slip the Bonds of Earth, was an Agatha Award and Ohio Book Award winner. A former librarian, Flower and her husband own a farm and recording studio, and they live in Northeast Ohio with their adorable cats.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoramandaflower/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaflowerauthor/

🐈🍬😽

Nacho Cheese Soup #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon

 

 

This recipe is from Baked by Rachel and is very adaptable.  I made adjustments according to what I had on hand and what the family likes.  My granddaughter doesn't like onions so I omitted them.  She also doesn't like green peppers so I nixed those.  I didn't have a jalapeno and my husband doesn't like too much spice so that was okay.  You can substitute turkey for the ground beef and I used gluten free flour.  Even with the adjustments, it was delicious.  You can use your imagination for toppings--sliced green onions, crumbled tortilla chips, sour cream, more cheese, etc.

1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained of fat

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

1 cup green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeño, seeds removed and diced

15 oz corn, drained

15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed well

15 oz petite diced tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

3 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth

8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup heavy cream

3 to 4 tablespoons flour

 

Add the ground beef to a skillet and cook until all pink is gone.  Drain off fat.  Either add to a pan or to a slow cooker.

 

Add vegetables, beans, seasonings and broth.  Stir to combine.

 

Cook on the stove for half an hour until the flavors meld or cook on high in the slow cooker for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.

When done, stir in shredded cheese.

Mix flour and heavy cream and add to pot or slow cooker.  Mix well.  Continue cooking on the stove until soup has thickened and is warmed through.  Or, in slow cooker, cover and cook for half an hour. 

 

 

 

 

  

 

When a wealthy local benefactor is slain on the farm, Monica has to figure out who wanted to cash in on the killing . . .

As Sassamanash Farms hunkers down for the long winter, Monica agrees to let the local animal shelter host their Christmas-themed fundraiser there. The draw of the event—a chance to have your pet’s picture taken with Santa—brings in animal lovers from far and wide. But when the crackling fire dies down and the festive holiday props are all carted away, Monica discovers a very un-jolly sight next to the barn—the dead body of one of the shelter’s biggest donors. With the farm’s good name in jeopardy, Monica goes to work to root out the killer.

By all accounts the victim was a charming and generous supporter of the shelter, but Monica discovers that he was loathed by those who knew him for being tight-fisted and unscrupulous. Suspecting money might be the motive, she turns her sights on his stylish wife and her lavish lifestyle, along with the manager of the struggling shelter, who stood to collect a hefty bequest from his will. But as Monica closes in on one final clue, the culprit closes in on her. Caught unawares, she’ll have to survive the brutal winter weather, as well as a cold-blooded killer . . . 

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Noodles with Chicken in Peanut Sauce from Vicki Delany

This is a recipe totally made-up by me.  I’ve always enjoyed noodles with peanut sauce and used store bought bottled sauce. Then one day, I started to cook and realized I didn’t have any of the bottles.  So I made my own. I’ve improvised it a bit and now I much prefer this one.  It’s also a lot cheaper than buying a ready-made labelled bottle of peanut sauce and has less preservatives.

This feeds one person, obviously you can multiply to your heart’s content.  On occasion I’ve not been able to get Canadian grown Bok choy, so I’ve found spinach to be an adequate substitute. Probably any heavy leafy green would work. The amount of peanut butter can be adjusted to suit your taste.

The noodles can be fresh or dried: if using dried, cook them in boiling salted water until al dente before adding to the dish.

Noodles with Chicken in Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

½ small onion, chopped

½ small red pepper, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

½ chicken breast, skinless, boneless, cubed

2 or 3 small heads of Bok choy, roughly chopped

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp soy sauce

1 bundle (about 100 g) udon noodles, fresh or dried (if dried see note above)

Method:

Heat oil in saucepan. Add onion, pepper, and garlic and sauté until onion is transparent.  Add chicken and cook until done. Add boy choy and cook about 2 minutes, until wilted. 

Add water to the saucepan, then add peanut butter and stir until peanut butter is melted and combined, then add fish sauce and soy sauce and stir well. Add more water if it looks too thick.  Add noodles and stir to combine.

Season with salt and pepper.

Follow Vicki at www.vickidelany.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor. You can sign up to receive Vicki’s quarterly newsletter at Vicki Delany – Canadian Author of Mystery Novels and Suspense Novels » Contact. She’s on Bluesky at @vickidelany.bsky.social

Now available: The Devil in the Details, the eleventh Sherlock Holmes Bookshop novel

 

Tomato Galette (a relative of tomato pie) by Lucy Burdette

 

LUCY BURDETTE: When I saw these two beautiful red tomatoes from John’s miniature garden on the deck (really talking miniature!), I thought of this recipe for tomato galette. It came from chef John at All Recipes, though I made some tweaks. From the comment section, it appears that the recipe is fairly flexible. I had these big tomatoes, but lots of people made it with cherry tomatoes. I also substituted Boursin for goat cheese since that’s what we had. And I added a little bit of my cheese powder to the dough for an extra pop.

Ingredients for the dough

1 1/3 cups, all purpose flour

Two heaping tablespoons cornmeal

Half a teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, frozen and cut into cubes

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup ice water

Optional cheese powder, 1 tablespoon 

Ingredients for the topping 

One package Boursin cheese, flavor of your choice

Two large tomatoes

A handful of basil, slivered

One egg

Sprinkle of Parmesan cheese

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the pastry dough up to apple cider and ice water. Pulse this mixture until it comes together as crumbs. Add the vinegar and ice water and continue to pulse until the dough gathers together. Flatten the dough into a disc on plastic wrap or parchment paper and refrigerate for an hour.

Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt, and set the slices to drain on paper towels, or a dish towel. Mix the Boursin cheese with the shreds of basil.

Preheat the oven to 425.

Using a sprinkle of flour as needed, roll out the dough to a 13 inch circle and transfer it to a pizza pan or sheet pan.

Spread the basil cheese mixture on the dough circle, leaving the outer inch and a half clear. Set the tomatoes in a pretty arrangement on top of the cheese. Pinch the edges all the way around the circle to contain the tomato cheese mixture. Paint the pie with beaten egg and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Bake until browning on top 30 to 35 minutes. Let the galette rest until it comes to room temperature. (Okay, we made it 15 minutes and that was fine!) Serve with a green salad.

USA Today bestselling author Lucy Burdette writes the Key West food critic mystery series including A POISONOUS PALATE and A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS. Join her mailing list right here.

Coming July 14--isn't it gorgeous?

Book 15 in the Key West series, THE MANGO MURDERS, is in bookstores now!

The trade paperback edition of A POISONOUS PALATE is out now! 

And the trade paperback edition of A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS is out now!