Chocolate Icing

NOTES:

This makes rather a lot of icing, it's not unreasonable to make a half batch.

If it's summer (temperature is in the mid 70s or higher) consider:
- using more chocolate chips
- using less cream
- using more sugar

This is to get it to firm up more.

half batch

• 4 oz. semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips work fine)
• ⅓ Cup (37 g) confectioner's sugar
• ½ Cup heavy or whipping cream
• 1 stick butter
• ½ - 1 teaspoons vanilla

full batch

• 8 oz. semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips work fine)
• ⅔ Cup (75 g) confectioner's sugar
• ½ pint (1 Cup) heavy or whipping cream
• 2 sticks butter
• 1-2 teaspoons vanilla

Put the chocolate in a saucepan and heat over a very low flame or a double boiler until melted, then mix in the sugar and cream.  Mix them throroughly. 
When they're fully mixed boil for one minute. 

Turn off the heat and stir in the butter so it's all melted and evenly distributed.

After it's cooled mostly, stir in the vanilla.  If you add the vanilla before it cools enough it will boil away the vanilla and taste funny.

Don't get spooked that it's way too thin, it will appear runny until fully cooled. It takes a long time to cool, you might want to put it in the fridge.

It's spreadable long after it's cooled, so there's no reason not to make it early.