Rosquillas (Nicaraguan corn masa cookies)

Trying new recipe to share at the WPPC Living Nativity tomorrow night - Rosquillas (Nicaraguan corn masa cookies - gluten free!) The rosaquillas are sprinkled with my version of brown loaf sugar.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups instant corn masa (also called masa harina)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter at room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup water at room temperature
• 1 cup brown loaf sugar, shaved or coarsely grated
  (or 1 cup dark brown sugar mixed with 3 teaspoons of molasses)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place Silpat sheets or parchment paper on two cookie sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the masa harina flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. 
4. Add the granulated sugar to the butter in a slow, steady stream, continuing to beat until the mixture is well blended and creamy.
5. To the creamed butter, add the water, alternating with blended dry ingredients. 
6. Beat the mixture with the paddle attachment of the electric food mixer until a uniform dough is formed.
7. Scoop up a rounded tablespoon of dough and form it into a ball. Repeat this process and arrange 12 balls of dough on each of the parchment-lined pan, leaving at least an inch between each.
8. To make the flower shape, press the bottom of a glass onto each ball to flatten to about ¼-inch, (or flatten each by hand. The edges will appear to crack, but the cookie will stay intact and the rustic texture will just decorate the edges.)
9. Use your fingers to make indentations first in the center, and then around the perimeter, sculpting a daisy shape. The idea is not only to give the cookie a decorative shape, but to thin out the disks for even baking from their perimeter through to their centers, making the cookies lighter and crunchier than if they were simply flattened.
10. After forming the flower shape, spoon about a small mound onto the center of each round.
    (Or sprinkle petals with some colored sugar.)
    
11. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until cooked through and lightly browned on the bottom and around the edges, 20-25 minutes.
12. Transfer them at once to wire racks to cool completely. Store over night or for up to two weeks in air-tight containers, chilled.

Carole's Notes:

This makes about 24 cookies.  I also sprinkled some with red sugar.

The recipe is lightly adapted from http://zesterdaily.com/cooking/corn-masa-cookies-in-nicaragua/ .