AI-generated image
Nan-e berenji
Rice-flour cookies
نان برنجی · Kermanshah rice-flour cookies with cardamom, rosewater and poppy seeds
Kermanshah in western Iran is famous for its nan-e berenji, and in the weeks before Nowruz bakeries there pack them by the boxful for guests who come visiting through the holiday. Made with rice flour, they are pale, crumbly and melt on the tongue, scented with cardamom and rosewater and sprinkled with a few poppy seeds. Many families make the dough a day ahead. The common mistake is letting them colour in the oven; they should come out white with only the faintest gold underneath. Chef's tip: rest the dough in the fridge for at least an hour so the rice flour hydrates; otherwise the cookies crack and spread.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz unsalted butter or gheesoft
- 4 oz icing sugar
- 2 tbsp rosewater
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 10 ½ oz fine rice flour
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Beat the 5 ½ oz unsalted butter or ghee and 4 oz icing sugar together with a spoon or electric whisk for 3–4 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
4 minStep 2: Beat in the 1 egg white white, 2 tbsp rosewater and 1 tsp ground cardamom until smooth.
2 minStep 3: Stir in the 10 ½ oz fine rice flour in three batches, then knead lightly with your hand until it comes together into a soft dough that doesn't stick. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
60 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 325°F (275°F fan) and line two trays with baking paper. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls, flatten each to a 1 cm disc and space them 3 cm apart.
15 minStep 5: Press a pattern into each with the back of a fork or a small decorative tool and sprinkle a pinch of 1 tbsp poppy seeds seeds on top.
5 minStep 6: Bake one tray at a time for 13–15 minutes, until the cookies are set and dry on top but still white; the bases should be barely golden.
15 minStep 7: Leave on the tray for 10 minutes; they are very fragile while warm. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 235 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nan-e berenji take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter or ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Reform tortaWalnut meringue chocolate cake
Belgrade pastry shops have sold reform torta since the early twentieth century, and it is still the cake Serbian families bring out for birthdays, weddings and the slava. Three thin layers of walnut meringue, crisp at the edge and chewy inside, are stacked with a dense chocolate butter cream made with egg yolks cooked over steam until thick. It is very rich, so cut thin slices and serve with strong coffee. The usual slip is beating the butter into a chocolate mixture that is still warm, which melts it and splits the cream; let it cool to room temperature first. Chef's tip: assemble the cake the day before; overnight in the fridge the meringue softens a little and the cake slices cleanly with a hot knife.
Ma'amoulDate and walnut butter pastries
Ma'amoul are delicate shortbread-like pastries made for Eid and Easter across the Middle East. A soft, rose-scented butter dough is wrapped around a filling of dates, walnuts, almonds and pistachios cooked with cinnamon, marked with a fork, baked pale and dusted with icing sugar. Makes 35; they keep well in a tin.
Cranberry and apple ring
A light, eggless and butter-free cake made with self-raising flour, cinnamon, light muscovado sugar, apple juice and a little sunflower oil, studded with juicy cranberries and diced apple and baked in a ring mould. Drizzled with warm cranberry jam and decorated with apple slices, it looks festive and is low in fat.
