Preheat oven to 375°F.
Whisk together the first 6 ingredients, and set aside.
Place butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer until thoroughly combined. Add maple syrup and water, and beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in flour mixture. Chill dough for 15 minutes.
Drop dough in 2-teaspoonful mounds onto 2 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Place about 1/4 cup sugar in a shallow bowl. Dip the bottom of a small glass into regular or turbinado sugar, and use the bottom of the glass to gently flatten each cookie to a 2-inch diameter. (Continue dipping the glass into the sugar, as needed, to prevent it from sticking to the cookies.)
Or roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness between 2 sheets of parchment or waxed paper, chill 15 minutes, and use a 2-inch cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Then sprinkle cookies with regular or turbinado sugar.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until light golden-brown. Cool on pans for 2 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on a wire rack.