May's Caramel Icing Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup margarine, melted
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
•  Ice cubes
• 1 cup pecans, chopped (to be added after icing is spread on cake)

Directions:
In a heavy, large saucepan, mix 2 cups of the sugar with the melted margarine. Beat in the milk and egg. Begin heating the mixture over medium heat; then place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in an iron skillet. Begin heating and stirring the sugar in the skillet, while also stirring the milk mixture. Allow the sugar to completely melt and turn a light golden color. Immediately remove skillet from the heat. At this point, the milk mixture should be hot but not boiling. Beat the melted sugar in the milk mixture; and cook with a candy thermometer in the icing to a temperature of 238 degrees. Immediately remove saucepan from heat, and allow to cool for a few seconds while beating in the vanilla. Place saucepan in the ice-filled container in sink, and beat the icing to a consistency just short of being too hard to pour. If icing should become too stiff add a few drops of cold milk to thin icing. Pour icing on cake or cakes; then sprinkle with pecans. Ices 1 large cake or 3 layer cakes.