PECAN CRESCENTS

Steps:

• Pulse pecans in a food processor until finely ground (being careful not to grind to a paste). Beat butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, then add 5 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth. Beat in water and vanilla, then flour and nuts, beating on low speed until blended well. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• On a lightly floured pastry cloth, roll level teaspoons of dough into 3-inch ropes, tapering ends. Curve each roll, as formed, into a crescent and arrange crescents 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets. Bake in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, 12 to 14 minutes. While cookies are baking, sift remaining confectioners sugar into a shallow bowl. As cookies are done, transfer, a few at a time, to sugar and gently toss to coat, tapping off excess. (Sugar will melt slightly onto hot cookies.) Cool cookies on a rack. If you want sugar coating to be white and powdery, toss cookies in confectioners sugar again when cool