I'd like to create an icon in my kde panel/desktop, to open a konsole session as root. What is a proper method for doing so? I imagine there are more than one, but any is helpful.

Thanks.

In your system/start menu, there should be several konsole selections.
One will be "Konsole-super-user mode".
Drag it onto your desktop or onto your unlocked taskbar.
Then you can right click it and config the icon appearance and name.
Now, when you use it it will ask for the root password, and then will open a root console when you enter the password.
If you want to make your own (by right clicking the desktop and selecting NEW-->Link to Application), I think the command is 'kdesu konsole', which you would enter into the command dialog box.

Es ist ganz gut.