GLUTEN FREE ROSE COOKIES aka PERSIAN RICE COOKIES (NAAN BERENJI)

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     Rose cookies.  I had never even heard of them, much less tasted one.  A Turkish friend told me about these Iranian New Year cookies.  They really taste like a rose!  Delightful and unique.  The recipe is traditionally made with rice flour so it is gluten free and easy to make.  Some variations include adding cardamom to the batter or topping them with chopped pistachio nuts.  I made the cookies from posts on the Foo Dabbler Blog and My Persian Kitchen blogs, but cut the recipe in half.
     In Iran and the rest of Central Asia the new year is celebrated on the first day of spring. Traditionally in Iran people spend the day visiting family and friends.  Of course you must serve some food to guests.  One of the things that is typically served are rose cookies.  After visiting many people you could be a bit full, but it is not considered polite to refuse food. The cookies are made very small so that you can still eat a little something during each of the many visits on that day.

GLUTEN FREE ROSE COOKIES 

PERSIAN RICE COOKIES

MAKES ABOUT 40-45 SMALL COOKIES

Ingredients

1¾ cups	Rice Flour - Superfine (make sure the flour is certified GF)
¾ cup	Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup	Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup	Rose Water
1 large	Egg - Separated
2 Tbs. (approx.)	Poppy Seeds - for decorating

Directions

1. Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl.  Add the egg yolks and oil and mix well.
2. Add the rice flour and rose water and mix in.

   

   Sugar, flour, rose water, egg yolk & oil mixed together.

3. Whip the egg whites until stiff.

   

   Whipped egg whites.

4. Fold the egg whites into the dough.

   

   Dough after egg white is folded in.

5. Refrigerate overnight.
6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silpat pads.
7. Form the dough into small hazelnut sized balls.
8. Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets. The cookies will not spread so you can place them closer together then with other cookies. Flatten each ball with a fork in one direction and then again in another direction to make a cross pattern. 

   

   Raw cookies on baking sheet.
   Note the cross pattern made with a fork
   & the poppy seeds sprinkled on top. 

9. Sprinkle the tops with some poppy seeds.
10. Bake for 15-25 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned.  The cookie tops will remain pale.

    

    The bottom of a cookie lightly golden.

11. Cool before serving.  Store cooled cookies in tins or airtight containers.

GLUTEN FREE ROSE COOKIES aka PERSIAN RICE COOKIES MAKES ABOUT 40-45 SMALL COOKIES Ingredients 1¾ cups Rice Flour - Superfine ¾ cup Powdered Sugar 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil 1/4 cup Rose Water 1 large Egg - Separated 2 Tbs. (approx.) Poppy Seeds - for decorating Directions Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl. Add the egg yolks and oil and mix well. Add the rice flour and rose water and mix in. Whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the dough. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silpat pads. Form the dough into small hazelnut sized balls. Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets. The cookies will not spread so you can place them closer together then with other cookies. Flatten each ball with a fork in one direction and then again in another direction to make a cross pattern. Sprinkle the tops with some poppy seeds. Bake for 15-25 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned. The cookie tops will remain pale. Cool before serving. Store cooled cookies in tins or airtight containers.