Santa Claus Pie

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole milk
• Two packets (65 g) of active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tbsp (60 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing and serving
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling (see chef's tip)
• 1.5 tsp coarse salt
• 1 tbsp. heavy cream or whole milk
• 20 drops of red food gel paint
• 2 large chocolate chips
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preparation:

1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer, then remove from heat and cool to 45°C (113°F). Mix in the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the sugar, butter, and 2 eggs and mix until smooth.
   
   Add the flour and salt and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together. Reduce to medium-high speed and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
   
   Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Separate one golf ball-sized piece of dough and roll it into a ball; this will be the pom-pom for Santa's hat. Separate one ping-pong ball-sized piece of dough and roll it into a ball for Santa's nose. Cut a strip of dough 2.5 cm wide, 23 cm long, and just over 0.5 cm thick and roll it into a sausage shape; this will be the brim of the hat.
   
   Cut another piece of dough into a strip 5 cm wide, 12 cm long, and just over 0.5 cm thick. Make slits in the strip starting from the center and stretch it slightly like an accordion to create a mustache.
5. Roll the remaining dough into an elongated diamond shape, with the top edge twice as wide as the bottom edge. Place the diamond shape on the prepared baking sheet, with the long side facing up and the edge hanging over.
   
   Using scissors or a knife, make cuts a little over a centimeter wide along the wide side of the diamond, stopping at the imaginary line where the top and bottom triangles meet. Take each beard strip and twist it, arranging the braids in rows to resemble a beard.
6. Fold the overhanging corner of the dough over to resemble the tip of Santa's hat. Place the long sausage-shaped dough in the top half of the triangle, where the tip of the hat begins, and tuck the ends of the sausage under the sides of the triangle; this forms the border of Santa's hat.
   
   Place a large ball of dough on the tip of the hat and press the pom-pom lightly. Place a mustache on top of the beard, then place a small ball above the mustache to create Santa's nose.
7. In a bowl, beat the remaining egg with the cream. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg over the surface of the dough, including the pom-pom and the rim, but not the top of the hat. Add food coloring to the egg mixture, stir, then thoroughly brush the top of the hat with red liaison, being careful not to get it on the pom-pom and rim.
8. Bake until the pie is golden brown and set in the center, 20 minutes.
   
   Remove from oven and immediately place chocolate chips where Santa's eyes should be.
   
   Let the cake cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then place it on a cooling rack. Cover the hat, nose, and cheeks with parchment paper and dust the exposed parts of the cake with powdered sugar. Remove the parchment paper and serve the cake warm with butter.
   
   

   Chef's advice

   
   When weighing flour, spoon it into a measuring cup and scrape off any mounds that form. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)