Boiled Chocolate Icing

I first learned to make this simple icing when I was nine-years old. It was the first icing Mom taught me to make. It's been a favorite ever since. It's delicious over chocolate, white, or yellow cake and with or without the optional pecans

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cocoa--regular or dark
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk--whole milk, canned milk, or heavy cream which I prefer
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
Optional: 1 cup pecan pieces

Procedure:

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter, add the milk of your choice, sugar and cocoa. Stir well.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for a minute--a bit longer if you want a thicker/harder icing.
3. Remove from heat and add vanilla and pecan pieces at this point.
4. Stir vigorously as the mixture cools down slightly and thickens. (I've seen some recipes that call for beating the mixture with beaters at this point, but I never have.)
5. Pour/spread mixture over cake just removed from oven. Allow to set.