Rice Flour Cookies /Persian Cookies

In Persia this kind of rice flour cookies are called Nan-e-berenji. Nan-e-berenji literally means rice bread. It is usually made with the combination of ingredients like rice flour, sugar, egg, rose water, and cardamom. In my version of rice flour cookies I have used combination of ingredients like rice flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom, saffron, and water.

These rice flour cookies are perfect substitute of sugar cookies for the people with gluten allergy or gluten sensitivity. These cookies are free of allergens like tree nuts, peanuts, gluten, and eggs.

Rice flour is made from finely milled rice. It is not similar to rice starch. Rice flour is common substitute for wheat. It is commonly used to make many savory dishes as well as desserts due to kind of texture it provides to the finished products.

Saffron provides beautiful flavor, color, and fragrance to these cookies. Besides, it is also used as a mark of celebration in many cultures around the world. Hence it goes perfectly well with these cookies.

Use a big and deep bowl to whip and blend the mixture. It will make easy for you to knead the dough. This recipe doesn’t require you to whip and knead for longer time. So you can use regular salad bowl or any deep bowl and whipping tool or regular spatula.

Please follow the step by step recipe below and enjoy these delicious Persian (Irani) cookies. They are easy to make and extremely tasty.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups leveled and measured rice flour
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup or 1 stick of unsalted butter (room temperature or melted)
• ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder
• 30 ml of water
• One pinch of saffron
• 1/3 teaspoon or one pinch of baking powder

Recipe

• In a small bowl add 30 ml of water and add one pinch of saffron to it. Put it aside so that saffron gets enough time to dissolve in water.
• Take a deep bowl and add ½ cup of melted butter to it.

• Add ½ cup of powdered sugar.
• Add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.

• Whip everything together really well. Sugar and cardamom should dissolve with melted butter.

• Sift the rice flour and add 1 ½ cup of rice flour to the mixture.
• Add 1/3 teaspoon of baking powder.
• Mix all the ingredients really well.
• Further add saffron water little by little and knead the dough well. Try and use all the 30 ml of saffron water while kneading the dough.
• Once the dough is kneaded properly if the consistency is too loose add another ½ cup of sifted rice flour and knead the dough well.
• Pre heat the oven at 350 F.
• Take baking tray and line it with baking sheet / parchment paper.
• Grease your hands with butter and divide the dough in equal parts.

• Smoothen the dough between your palms. Shape them the way you want.
• Put them on the baking tray at least 2 inches apart from each other.
• Bake it for about 15 minutes.
• Cookies should be light brown in the bottom.

• Let them cool on cooling rack for about 10 – 20 minutes.
• Tasty rice flour cookies are ready to eat.

Click the Video below to see step by step recipe of Rice flour cookies.

Tips:

• If you are not allergic to eggs, you can add one egg yolk along with butter and sugar. Whip all these ingredients together.
  • Instead of 30 ml add 15 ml of water if you are adding egg yolk.
• For flavor instead of saffron you can also use rose water.
  • If you are using rose water use 15 ml of rose water and 15 ml of regular water.
  • If you are using egg yolk too, then add 15 ml of water and skip the water.
• If you are not allergic to nuts, you can use chopped nuts chips for garnishing.
• Please wash your hands properly, clear the counter top and clean all the equipment you are using before cooking anything. This is the safest way of cooking for the people with allergies or food sensitivity.