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

 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Apple

 

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

Connect with Kim: Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Bluesky, Bookbub, Goodreads, TikTok, and website

 

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?