Golden Santa Bread

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Ingredients

  • 4 to 4 1/2 c flour
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 2 packages active dry yeast (1/4 oz each)
  • 1 1/2 t salt
  • 1/4 c milk
  • 1/4 c butter, cubed
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 raisins
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 to 3 drops red food coloring

Preparation

Step 1

You will need a large bowl. Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Heat the milk, water and butter to 120°-130° in a small saucepan. Add to dry ingredients. You need to beat just until moistened. Beat in the eggs until smooth. Stir the remaining flour in to form a stiff dough.

Turn onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Use the remaining dough for the mustache, nose, hat pom-pom and brim. Shape a portion of dough into a mustache. Flatten and cut the ends into small strips with scissors. Place above beard. Place a small ball above mustache for nose. Fold the tip of hat over and add another ball for pom-pom. Roll out a narrow piece of dough to create a hat brim; position it under the hat.

With a scissors, cut two slits for the eyes and after that insert raisins into the slits. In separate small bowls, beat each egg yolk. Add red food coloring to one yolk; carefully brush over the hat, the nose and the cheeks. Brush the plain yolk over the remaining dough.

Cover loosely with foil. Bake at 350* for 15 minutes. Uncover, bake 10-12 minutes longer or until golden brown.