Chocolate Buttercream Icing

DIRECTIONS

• Melt chocolate with 2 tablespoons of the butter.
• reserve.
• Place whole egg and egg yoks in medium mixer bowl, beat at high speed 1 minute.
• Reserve.
• Measure sugar and water into 1 quart nonaluminum saucepan, stir well.
• Cook over low heat until mixture simmers, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
• Uncover sugar syrup, simmer slowly over low heat until it reaches soft ball stage-- 234 degrees to 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• While beating at high speed, immediately drizzle the sugar syrup into the reserved egg mixture.
• Continue beating until bottom of bowl is cool to touch.
• Gradually beat reserved chocolate mixture and the brandy into sugar mixture until thoroughly blended.
• Place remaining butter in small mixer bowl, beat at medium speed until fluffy.
• While beating chocolate mixture at high speed,add beaten butter, about 1 tablespoon at a time.
• When all butter has een added, beat about 5 minutes.
• Refrigerate buttercream, stirring every 10 minutes, until firm enough to spread, usually 30 to 40 minutes.