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    Home Β» Recipes Β» Cookies

    This site contains affiliate links to various websites, including Amazon.com. read more

    Nan-e Berenji: Gluten Free Persian New Year Cookies

    Published: Mar 20, 2022 Β· Modified: Mar 18, 2023 by Audrey Β· This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Nan-e Berenji are Perisan New Year's Cookies flavored with rose water and cardamom traditionally served for Nowruz.

    Nan-e Berenji, or Nan Berenji or Naan Berenji, are floral sweetly spiced shortbread cookies perfect for celebrating Spring.

    Persian new year's cookies with poppy seeds on a plate with text overlay (nan-e berenji)

    Rose flavored cookies? YES!

    If you have never tried floral flavored food they taste just like the smell.

    You might be able to find rose water at a good liquor store. But, I bought this Nielsen-Massey version online. It might seem a bit pricey but a little goes a long way. You can add a little in homemade jams or jellies, add a splash to drinks like this Blackberry Prosecco Punch or try it in Raspberry Rose Sugar Cookies, Rose Milk Gelatin.

    In Nan-e Berenji the rose flavor is paired with cardamom. A-MAZ-ING! You can omit the cardamom if you like, but it is one of my favorite spices. It's like a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg with a hint of mint and citrus.

    How to Shape Nan-e Berenji

    nan e berenji shaped 2 different ways

    These cookies are traditionally rolled into a ball and then pressed with a decorative stamp to help hold the poppy seeds on top. You can purchase moon cake molds like this to achieve the effect.

    I did not have those, so I searched my kitchen for anything I could use for a pretty design and came up with the bottom of the cardamom jar. It worked okay, but the edges cracked and it wasn't as pretty as I'd like.

    Then I tried a spoon trick I read in another post to make a flower shape. Turn a spoon sideways and press lightly from the center outward making spokes. No cracking and a lovely little spring flower.

    More Spring Sweets Recipes from #OurFamilyTable

    We are gearing up for Spring with these lovely desserts.

    Springtime Sweets

    • Almond Joy Macaron from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
    • Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting from The Spiffy Cookie
    • Easy Cream Cheese Frosting from Art of Natural Living
    • Easy Springtime Fudge from A Good Life
    • Meyer Lemon Cashew Fudge/Lemon Kaju Kathli from Magical Ingredients
    • Nan-e Berenji (Persian Rice Cookies) from That Recipe
    • Strawberry Cheesecake Macarons from Jen Around the World
    • Tropical Cupcakes with Passion Fruit Frosting from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks


    We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you're at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

    Persian new year's cookies with poppy seeds on a plate with text overlay (nan-e berenji)

    Recipe

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 cup butter
    • 1Β½ cup powdered sugar
    • 2 eggs (seperated)
    • 3ΒΌ cups rice flour
    • 1 tablespoon rose water
    • 3 tablespoons water
    • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
    • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

    Instructions
     

    • In a mixing bowl combine butter, powdered sugar and egg yolks.
    • Add flour, rose water, water, and cardamom.
    • In a separate bowl, beat egg whites to firm peaks (when you remove the beater the "mountain" stands up straight but the tip of it folds over. A little more than soft peak, but not stiff peak).
    • Fold the egg whites into the other ingredients and refrigerate overnight.
    • Preheat oven to 300Β° F.
    • Roll into tablespoon size balls and flatten with a cookie press or the tines of a fork or turn a small spoon on its side and press into the cookie from the center to the outer edge of the cookie (like spokes of a wheel).
    • Sprinkle with poppy seeds.
    • Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the edges just start to tinge brown. Remove from the pan and place on cooling rack until cool.

    Until next time, happy eating.
    ~Audrey

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tammy

      January 05, 2017 at 8:19 am

      I love that these are gluten free. I'll have to try them sometime!

      Reply
      • Audrey

        January 05, 2017 at 9:32 am

        I know a lot of people are looking for Gluten Free recipes these days.

    2. Ashley @ Forgetful Momma

      January 05, 2017 at 8:22 am

      Yum! I was thinking about baking today, I guess I know what to try making now. πŸ˜‰

      Reply
      • Audrey

        January 05, 2017 at 9:18 am

        They are a little different, but addicting.

    3. Joanne/Wine Lady Cooks

      January 05, 2017 at 11:08 am

      This is a great recipe. I love that you are making recipes from different cultures - always enjoy new recipes and sharing with the kids.

      Reply
      • Audrey

        January 07, 2017 at 9:40 am

        I always enjoyed trying new cuisines as a kid, I hope my son does too.

    4. CYnthia

      January 05, 2017 at 12:22 pm

      These look really good. I am loving he ingredients in them. Since I am cutting processed foods out of my diet, I am thinking these might be something I could make. Do you think there is a substitute for the powdered sugar? I have never cookies with Rose water. Glad you warned of the amount. Thanks for being a part of the Fill The Cookie Jar group.

      Reply
      • Audrey

        January 07, 2017 at 9:39 am

        I'd be worried about the texture and consistency if you substituted the powdered sugar. I'm not sure what else could be used.

    5. Tina

      January 05, 2017 at 1:35 pm

      What a great recipe. I love seeing recipes from different regions. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Audrey

        January 07, 2017 at 9:37 am

        So do I, Tina. I think it is fun to explore regional foods.

    6. Cindy @CindysRecipesAndWritings

      January 05, 2017 at 4:36 pm

      I never made cookies with rice flour. I got to try this recipe!

      Reply
      • Audrey

        January 07, 2017 at 9:36 am

        The rice flour gives them an interesting texture.

    7. Kris ~ Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies

      January 05, 2017 at 8:21 pm

      I just got Rose Water, and have been looking for a recipe to try it in. This would be perfect!

      Reply
      • Audrey

        January 07, 2017 at 9:35 am

        Wanting to use the rose water I had in the pantry was one of the reasons I chose this cookie.

    8. Heather @ Join Us, Pull up a Chair

      January 06, 2017 at 4:36 am

      Such a unique cookie! I definitely need to expand my horizons and try my hand at making some international foods!

      Reply
    9. Haley Bradley

      January 07, 2017 at 1:37 pm

      A very unique cookie! I have heard of rose water for a facial, but I didn't know you could bake with it.

      Reply
      • Audrey

        January 09, 2017 at 3:50 pm

        It tastes like... roses. I know it sounds odd, but in the right recipe it is wonderful. These were good once I toned it down a little.

    10. Maria Magdalena

      January 08, 2017 at 7:10 pm

      I need recipes that are gluten free. This is perfect!

      Reply
      • Audrey

        January 09, 2017 at 3:48 pm

        I'm happy to help πŸ˜‰

    11. Leigh

      January 17, 2017 at 10:33 am

      Thank you for linking up at the Healthy Living Link Party!
      Blessings, Leigh

      Reply
    12. Marlys (This and That)

      January 20, 2017 at 8:23 am

      These sound interesting.. I think I would like the cardamom instead of the rose water (harder for me to get).

      Reply
      • Audrey

        January 20, 2017 at 10:02 am

        I think I had the cardamom from a Crazy Ingredient Challenge we did a while back. The Rose Water was hard to find in my area so I just ended up ordering it online.

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    Welcome, I'm Audrey, an avid "maker" that believes home made is better.

    Whether it's cooking, crafting, gardening, home dΓ©cor, even blog design, I love getting my hands dirty and trying new things... even if I make a mess in the process.

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