Thin White Icing

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons hot water

Instructions:

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Then add sugar and vanilla. (Comes out smoother if the powdered sugar is sifted first.) Stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time until smooth--you don't have to stir all three tablespoons in if the icing approaches desired thickness before you do--three tablespoons makes it just slightly capable of being drizzled.

This is the straight recipe; it dries white and tastes vanilla. With the following variations, you can change the icing's flavor and color; using many different types for, say, Sugar 'N Spice Cakes, is ideal. If you are going to flavor and color your icings, it's best to only add at the most two tablespoons of hot water instead of three, because too much liquid makes this icing difficult to spread.