Coricos have a crumbly texture and a lightly sweet and earthy taste. They're made with corn flour, butter, and piloncillo. Serve with milk or coffee for a fantastic Mexican treat!
Pour water into a medium saucepan and add piloncillo, cinnamon stick, anise star, and whole cloves.
Bring to a boil, set the heat to low, and simmer while stirring from time to time until piloncillo is dissolved and a light syrup has formed (about 10 minutes).
Allow to cool down completely.
Make the dough
Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add salt and, using the wire whip, mix at high speed until light and fluffy (about 7 minutes).
Add the eggs and mix at high until fully incorporated.
Add masa harina, and baking powder. Use the paddles and knead the dough at low speed while pouring the piloncillo syrup until everything is fully incorporated.
Shape the cookies
Pinch a little bit of the dough and roll it into a ball with your hands.
Roll the ball into a rope about 5-6 inches (13 cm) long.
Take both ends of a rope and overlap them, pressing a little bit to make a ring shape. Repeat with all ropes until all are shaped
Transfer shaped cookies to a baking sheet lightly floured with masa harina.
Bake
Preheat oven to 360°F/180°C
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the cookies are lightly brown.
Remove the sheet from the oven and leave it to rest for 5 minutes.
Carefully, using a spatula, remove the cookies and place them on a cooling rack.
Enjoy the corn cookies right away or store them in an airtight container.
Notes
You can use butter, lard, or vegetable shortening to make this recipe.
You can skip making the piloncillo syrup and just go with 3/4 cup brown sugar + 2/3 cup water instead.