Rolled desserts filled with creams and ganaches are already making a beautiful appearance on our tables, but imagine a roll with the colors of fall made with sweet pumpkin dough and filled with cream and chestnut cream.
Then imagine the fun of decorating it with small cookies in the shape of leaves or small forest animals and chestnuts with beautiful spikes. This easy recipe requires just a tiny bit of manual work and can be reinterpreted many different ways merely by changing the filling. Here’s how.
How to make the sweet dough
This dough is generally prepared in recipes where it needs to be rolled, as it is just soft enough and easy to shape. Each step in its preparation must be carried out with caution and quickly, because if the mixture dries, it’s impossible to work with.
First, steam or roast about 7 ounces of pumpkin pulp in the oven at 400°F. Let cool, then puree it in a blender. Sift 2/3 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch of cinnamon in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk 3 eggs with 1/2 cup of sugar and two tablespoons of wildflower honey until you get a light, fluffy mixture.
Add the sifted flour, baking powder and cinnamon to the egg mixture and mix everything gently from bottom to top. Then add the pumpkin puree and pour the mixture into a rectangular pan (12 x 16 in.) lined with parchment paper, and level it with a spatula. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Once cooked, cover the sweet dough with another sheet of parchment paper previously wet and wrung out, and roll it gently over itself. Once it is completely cold, unroll it and fill it, then roll it up again and decorate it. It should be left to cool in the fridge before being served.
Some advice to avoid breaking the sweet dough
First, don’t overcook it because if it gets dry it will be impossible to roll up. Once baked, cover it immediately with the wet and wrung out parchment paper or sprinkle it with a little sugar to create moisture inside. If it does not come off easily, wet the parchment paper slightly at the base. You can also prepare it in advance, as it can also be frozen once rolled and cooled.
The filling
We recommend a super-fall filling with chestnut cream and whipped cream in a two-to-one ratio. Make it even more delicious with the addition of mascarpone, but be sure to add a little less cream. Oven-roasted pumpkin has a more intense taste. You can also flavor it with ginger and cinnamon. An additional idea for the filling: whipped cream and crumbled marron glacé. To add a little crunchiness to this dessert, brush the surface with water and honey and cover with chopped hazelnuts. The decoration is everything. Make some simple cookies in the shape of leaves or small pumpkins, and place dry leaves here and there on the platter. If you’re good with your hands, you can decorate the roll with butter cream.