1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon water
2-1/2 cups flour
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
Powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, salt, cocoa, water and vanilla; beat well. Add flour and nuts and mix well. Chill dough at least a half hour before baking.
To bake, form about 1 tablespoon of dough into a 2-inch log for each cookie. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 20 minutes.
Roll hot cookies in powdered sugar and place on a rack to cool. Then roll the cookies in powdered sugar again when cool.