Vegetable Shortening (Crisco preferred as it is white)                            1 cup
Salt (calms down the grease and gives more flavor                                1 1/2 tsp
Liquid Flavoring or Powdered Vanilla                                                  1 1/2 tsp
Water (more or less and at room temperature)                                       3 oz.
Confectioners Sugar (Diane prefers Domino's 10X - Betty
          prefers the 2-pound bags)                                                            2 lbs.

1.    Combine shortening, salt, flavoring and 2 oz. of water in a mixing bowl and cream together.  Do not Beat!
2.    Add confectioners sugar and 1 ounce of water; slowly, mix with a paddle until blended.  Do not Beat!
3.    Age 1 to 3 days for cake icing.
4.    Age 2 weeks or more for flowers.

Note:  No refrigeration necessary unless color has been added.  Best to at least double the recipe in order to have enough.
 

Diane's Notes:
Speed low and start mixing.  Get pound of confectioners sugar in a bowl a little at a time.
Put up bowl slowly to regular height.  Bring back down slowly, periodically, in order to have the butter cream mixture removed from the beater (use the paddle).
Add water to bottom of bowl; not top.  Make stiff - Easier to add water; not sugar.  Put shoer cap on top of open container to protect royal and decorators buttercream.
Get frosting off paddle by lowering bowl and let paddle still rotate.

Let set at least 2 weeks.
Harder to pipe because air is still in.  Easier to pipe because air is out of it due to age.
Put drops of water asa per need.  (A very little at a time.  Mix and add water until desired consistency is obtained.
Consistency is extremely important in any form of piping, frosting the cake, making flowers, etc.)
 

For clear color use 2 primary colors (Red, Blue and Yellow).  Use a third primary color to soften.  A non-primary color especially one with red (such as pink, purple, lavender, peach) may give more of an earth tone.  Sometimes very effective; sometimes muddy looking.  Just play around until you get the color of choice.