Day 1: Prepare the Fillings

Biscoff Kataifi Filling

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Melt the butter and toss with the kataifi pastry until evenly coated.
• Spread in an even layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake for 12–15 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until golden and crisp. Cool completely.
• Warm the Biscoff cookie butter briefly in the microwave until softened and easy to stir.
• Melt the white chocolate separately, then combine with the warmed Biscoff, tahini, and cooled kataifi.
• Scoop into ½-tablespoon portions using a rigid measuring spoon (my preferred method) or small half-sphere silicone molds.
• Arrange on a parchment-lined tray or leave in the molds. Cover and freeze overnight.
• Freezing the centers makes them easier to position inside the mousse without losing their shape.

Salted Caramel

• Spread the sugar evenly across the bottom of a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
• Heat over medium heat, whisking as the sugar begins to melt. It may form clumps initially; continue cooking until these melt.
• Once completely melted, stop whisking and swirl the pan occasionally until the sugar reaches a deep amber color.
• Immediately add the butter, whisking until incorporated. Be careful, the caramel will bubble vigorously.
• Remove from the heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream, whisking until smooth.
• Stir in the flaky sea salt.
• Cool for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a jar and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate until needed.

Day 2: Cake, Mousse & Assembly

Spiced Apple Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a half-sheet pan (approximately 13 × 18 inches) with parchment paper, then grease and lightly flour it.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, and optional molasses until smooth.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in the shredded apple.
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared half-sheet pan.
• Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool completely, then cut 12 rounds using a cookie cutter slightly smaller than the bottom of your pumpkin molds.
• You'll have leftover cake. The thin sheet-pan layer creates bases that fit neatly inside the molds. Store your cutouts in an airtight container, between layers of parchment if needed.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse

• Drain the pumpkin: Place a cheesecloth over a fine mesh strainer, and pour in the pumpkin purée. Let it sit for about an hour to drain excess moisture (This will prevent your mousse from weeping later). Weigh out 227 g after draining.
• Bloom the gelatin: Submerge the gelatin sheets in plenty of very cold water for 5–10 minutes, until softened. Blooming hydrates the gelatin so it dissolves evenly.
• Prepare the base: Beat the softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the sour cream, pumpkin purée, spices, salt, and vanilla. Mix until completely incorporated.
• Heat the milk: Warm the whole milk to 150–160°F (65–70°C).
• Dissolve the gelatin: Drain and squeeze excess water from the bloomed gelatin sheets and stir them into the hot milk until fully dissolved.

  Gelatin note: Use 10.7 g of 180 Bloom gelatin, measured by weight rather than counting sheets. Sheet sizes vary between manufacturers.
• Melt the chocolate: Pour the hot milk mixture over the chopped white chocolate. Stir or blend until smooth and emulsified (completely combined without separation). Reheat gently if needed to melt any remaining chocolate.
• Temper the mixture: Stir a little of the pumpkin base into the warm chocolate mixture, then gradually blend this into the remaining pumpkin base. This helps combine the mixtures smoothly without sudden temperature changes.
• Cool the base: Allow the mixture to cool to approximately 80–85°F (27–29°C). It should be cool enough not to melt the whipped cream, but still fluid enough that the gelatin hasn't begun setting.
• Whip the cream: In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to soft-medium peaks. The cream should hold a gentle peak but remain smooth and flexible, not stiff.
• Fold: Gently fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture in three additions, using broad, sweeping motions to preserve the air in the cream.
• Transfer the mousse to a piping bag and assemble immediately, before the gelatin begins setting.

Assemble the Entremets

• Place the silicone pumpkin molds on a rigid, freezer-safe tray.
• Pipe mousse into each cavity, filling approximately two thirds of the way.
• Tap your mold against the counter a few times to smooth the mousse and release any bubbles in the mousse. This prevents air pockets that would leave holes in the finished pumpkins.
• Press one frozen Biscoff kataifi half sphere, rounded side down, into the middle of each cavity. This should leave a small well in the center, surrounded by mousse.
• Add a 1/2 tbsp of cooled salted caramel into the well, keeping it away from the outer edges.
• Gently press a round of spiced apple cake into each mold to form the flat base.
• Smooth the bottoms with an offset spatula, scraping away any excess mousse. *Entremets are assembled upside down. When unmolded, the mousse becomes the decorative exterior and the cake forms the bottom.
• Cover and freeze overnight, until completely solid.

Day 3: Velvet Spray

• Prepare the White Chocolate Velvet Spray
• Fill the basin of your chocolate spray gun with warm water to preheat it.
• Combine the white chocolate and cocoa butter in a microwave-safe container.
• Microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring between each, until completely melted and the mixture reaches 122°F (50°C).
• Add orange oil-based food coloring, if desired, and blend until evenly incorporated. Do not use water-based coloring, which can cause the chocolate to seize.
• Drain and thoroughly dry the spray gun basin.
• Pour the melted chocolate mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the basin, following your spray gun manufacturer's recommended operating temperature.
• Spray the Frozen Pumpkins
• Prepare a protected, well-ventilated spraying area.
• Remove one fully frozen pumpkin from its mold. With my particular molds, I find it helpful to cup the bottom of the pumpkin in one hand and gently push upward while peeling back the top of the mold with the other. This helps release the pumpkin without accidentally leaving dents in its surface.
• Working quickly, spray with a thin, even layer of chocolate velvet spray.
• Return the pumpkin to a covered, freezer-safe container.
• Repeat with the remaining pumpkins, working one at a time so each pumpkin is completely frozen when sprayed. Note: The velvet texture forms when tiny droplets of warm chocolate and cocoa butter solidify almost instantly on the frozen mousse. Use light passes rather than a thick coating to preserve the pumpkin details.

Thaw Entremets

• Transfer the finished pumpkins to a covered container in the refrigerator and thaw overnight before serving, or at least 6-8 hours.

Day 4: Finishing

• Optional Fondant Stems
• Add a couple of drops of green and brown gel food coloring to a small piece of white fondant.
• Fold and knead until the white fondant is completely colored, but the green and brown remain slightly streaky, creating natural-looking striations that resemble a pumpkin stem.
• Roll a small portion into a rope.
• Press one end gently into the center of the pumpkin and twist the remaining fondant into a curved stem.
• Add the stems immediately before serving, as moisture will soften the fondant and cause it to lose its shape.