Rice Cookies with Poppy Seeds - Why do we chill dough?

Welcome, Chemists!

Today, I have a delicious, crumbly cookie recipe for you. These are Persian rice cookies, a popular dessert especially around the new year, and we call them nan-berenji. They feature two ingredients common in Persian desserts: rose water and cardamom. You should be able to find these things at your local international market or on Amazon. They're super simple to make and taste fantastic - I think you'll love them!

The video lesson that goes along with this recipe answers the question:

Why do we chill dough?

Ingredients:

for approximately 30-40 small cookies

1 cup olive oil (you can use butter if you want even richer cookies)

1.5 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar

1/2 cup rose water

4 egg yolks

3 cups rice flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp ground cardamom 

1 tsp poppy seeds (and more for decoration)

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the oil, rose water, egg yolks, and confectioner's sugar until well combined and homogenous.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the rice flour, cardamom, and poppy seeds. Add the rice flour mixture to the first mixture and mix well. 

3. Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

5. Scoop 1 tbsp of dough on the baking sheet for each cookie, and make sure to leave about an inch of space between each one. Sprinkle some poppy seeds on top.

6.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the undersides of the cookies begin to lightly brown. Remember: these are rice cookies and should remain fairly white!

7. Allow them to cool for at least 10 minutes before eating. Enjoy!