Custard Puff Pastry

This is a favorite recipe of mine that I just keep forgetting to make more often! It is great for having a dessert with the topping all come out of the oven at the same time.

CUSTARD PUFF PASTRY
½ cup  butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water
½ cup margarine or butter
1 cup water
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut ½ cup margarine or butter into 1 cup flour until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over flour mixture; mix. Gather pastry into a ball; divide into halves. Form each half into a rectangle, 12 x 3 inches on ungreased cookie sheet. They should be about 3 inches apart. Refrigerate

Heat ½ cup margarine or butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil; remove from heat. Quickly stir in extracts and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture form a ball, about one minute; remove from heat. Place mixture in mixing bowl and beat int eggs and sugar until smooth and glossy. Spread topping over each rectangle. Bake until topping is crisp and brown, about one hour; cool. Topping will shrink and fall, forming the custard top. Dust with powdered sugar before cutting and serving.

Ideas . . .
 Sometimes, I like to spread a very thin layer of jam on the dough just before I add the topping.

Toasted coconut in the custard topping is nice.