Edna Mae’s Éclairs

Makes 8-10 éclairs

Pastry:

½ margarine, softenedcup 1 cup water

4 large eggs, room temperature, beaten

1 cup flour

Custard filling:

1 ⅛ cup sugar 6 tablespoons cornstarch 3 eggs beaten

3 cups whole milk 2 tablespoons margarine 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Icing:

2 cups confectioners’ sugar 2 tablespoons margarine 2 tablespoons cocoa

1 cup confectioners’ sugar 2 tablespoons boiling water

Directions:

1. To make pastry dough, in a saucepan, bring margarine and water to a boil. Remove from heat.

2. Add flour to water and margarine, stirring constantly and adding in salt to form a dough, which pulls away from the sides of pan when stirred. Remove from heat and add beaten eggs gradually, folding into dough to incorporate.

3. Grease a standard cookie sheet or jellyroll pan. Using a spoon, drop small amounts of dough in an oval shape along the pan. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 375 and bake another 25 minute or until dough “puffs” and appears rather hollow inside. Remove from oven and cool completely before splitting to fill.

4. To make custard filling, in another saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, eggs and milk. Cook over medium flame, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add margarine and vanilla to the custard and fold-in to incorporate.

5. To make icing, in a saucepan, combine margarine and cocoa and cook over a low flame until blended smooth. Remove saucepan from heat and add confectioners’ sugar and water and beat to combine and until smooth.

6. Split each of the éclair pastries and fill center generously with custard before replacing top pastry and icing each éclair.