Sweet Halloween roll

To make the sweet Halloween roll, start by removing the seeds and stringy parts from the pumpkin flesh, and cut it into slices 1. Arrange the pumpkin segments on a tray lined with parchment paper, cover with aluminum foil 2, and bake the pumpkin in a conventional oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for 1 hour (or in a convection oven at 320°F (160°C) for 50 minutes). Let the pumpkin cool, then scoop the flesh out 3 from the skin and measure out ½ lb (250 g) of flesh, which you’ll use for the sponge cake.

Put this flesh in the bowl of a food processor, grate some nutmeg into it 4, and also add the cinnamon powder 5. Blitz until creamy 6 and then set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the 3 whole eggs and the egg yolk, honey 7, and half the sugar 8, and beat for about 10 minutes, until you get a light, foamy mixture 9.

Then add the other half of the sugar 10 and beat again, until it’s absorbed. Turn off the mixer and sift the flour 11 and potato starch 12 into the bowl.

Next, add the pumpkin cream, passing it through a strainer 13. Stir the mixture carefully so it doesn’t go flat 14, then butter an 11x15-inch (30x40-cm) sheet pan and line it with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan 15

and spread it evenly across the entire surface using a spatula 16. Bake the pumpkin sponge cake in a preheated conventional oven at 390°F (200°C) for 18 minutes (or in a convection oven at 350°F (180°C) for 8-10 minutes). When it’s ready 17, take your sponge cake out of the oven and turn the pan over onto a cutting board covered with parchment paper: This way, the cake will be covered on both the top and bottom and will maintain the moisture it needs to become nice and spongy 18; allow it to cool for around 1 hour at room temperature.

In the meantime, begin preparing the other elements, starting with the cream. Pour the whole milk and condensed milk 19 into a pot on the stove with the heat off, and stir well with a whisk 20 to combine. Next, add the egg yolks, one by one 21, stirring to make them absorb.

Sift the starch into the mixture 22, stir well to make it dissolve, and then turn on the heat. Zest the orange directly into the pot 23 and allow the cream to thicken 24, stirring continuously.

Next, roughly chop the white chocolate 25, turn off the heat and add this chocolate to the still-warm cream 26, stirring vigorously until it’s melted completely. Transfer the cream into a low, wide baking dish 27, cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and allow to cool first at room temperature, and then in the fridge.

At this point, you can make the orange glaze you’ll use to cover the roulade. Weigh out 4½ oz (130 g) of pumpkin that’s already been cooked in the oven, pass it through a strainer 28, and add it to the orange juice 29. Then add the powdered sugar and stir well to make it absorb 30. Put the glaze in the fridge to firm up, too.

When all the elements are cool, take the sponge cake, remove it delicately from the parchment paper, and roll it out carefully on the counter where you’ve rolled out some plastic wrap. Using a spatula, spread the cream on the cake evenly, leaving some space around the edges 31. Then, using the plastic wrap to help, roll the cake from the longest side 32, and, finally, seal the roulade by twisting the plastic wrap closed at the ends like a candy wrapper 33.

Place the roulade in the fridge to cool for at least 1 hour. After this time has elapsed, unwrap the roulade, set it carefully on a wire rack positioned over a clean tray, and glaze the roulade using a spoon to spread the glaze over the whole thing 34, allowing it to drip down and run off so the roll is completely covered 35. Put the roulade back in the fridge and leave for at least 1 hour so the glaze will solidify. In the meantime, chop up the dark chocolate and place it in a bain-marie 36.

Allow it to melt completely, stirring every once in a while 37; make sure the bottom of the saucepan that you’ve put the chocolate in isn’t in contact with the water in the pot. Put the melted chocolate in a small pastry bag with a soft plain piping tip suitable for decorations 38. Cut a piece of parchment paper and place on a tray. Using a pencil, draw spiders of around 1 inch (3 cm), well spread apart from one another, and a couple of different-sized spiderwebs 39. Next, turn the paper over so the side with the drawing is touching the tray.

Now use the pastry bag to trace and fill in the pencil drawings 40, and then place the tray with the chocolate decorations in the fridge for at least 1 hour so they solidify. After this time has elapsed, delicately remove the decorations from the parchment paper, using a spatula to help 41, and carefully arrange them on the now cooled and hardened roulade, which you’ve already removed the ends from. Your sweet Halloween roll is ready for its début 42!