The 6th of December is Saint Nicholas Day (in honour of the patron saint of children), and is a popular holiday for families in Germany. The celebrations begin the day before, when St. Nicholas (also spelled Nikolas and Nikolaus) visits children and tests their behaviour, sometimes asking them to recite a song or poem. That night, they leave their (ideally clean) shoes at the door, hoping the next morning they will be filled with goodies as a reward. This is often in addition to presents left in stockings — hung early in anticipation of St. Nick’s visit.

To celebrate, we’ve put a spin on the festive stocking with this strawberry and vanilla pudding pizza, shaped and decorated to look like St. Nicholas’ boot. Once the base is cooked, topping and decorating the pizza is a great way to get the kids involved. It’s a nice exclamation point to the end of a long day full of anticipation, cleaning and putting away toys before the arrival of a certain midnight visitor.

While we suggest using vanilla pudding and freshly sliced strawberries, you could choose any flavoured pudding base (chocolate or caramel, for instance), or opt for berry jam or conserve instead. Of course, a savoury version with tomato sauce and a mozzarella lining would be delicious, too. Whatever your style, this unique pizza is sure to be a fun treat for the whole family.

Notes: This recipe requires a blind bake using ice cubes. You’ll also need a pair of gloves and metal tongs. Watch this clip to get a sense of how the ice cube technique works.