Why not throw a Halloween dinner party – this dessert is a favourite with adults as well as kids.

For the Panna Cotta

125ml full fat milk
125ml double cream
Zest of 1 lemon, thick strips
Vanilla pod
1/2 tablespoon of lavender
1/2 teaspoon of pink peppercorns
30g caster sugar
3 leaves of gelatine
1 ripe mango

To make the panna cotta, heat the milk, sugar, zest, lavender, peppercorns and vanilla pod with its seeds out until scalded, take off the heat and leave to infuse for at least 15 minutes
Soak the gelatine in cold water
Strain the mix and warm through with the cream
Stir in the gelatine
Pour into bowls and chill for at least three hours
For the ‘pumpkin flesh’, blend the mango flesh and drizzle into the Panna Cotta after and hour in the fridge

For the pumpkin macarons

125g ground almonds
200g icing sugar
3 egg whites (90g egg whites)
Orange paste food colouring

For the filling

100ml double cream
Orange food colouring

Pop the ground almonds and icing sugar in a food processor until well combined
Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until stiff at a low speed
Slowly whisk in the cream of tartar and caster sugar until the mixture is smooth and glossy, increasing the speed of the whisk as the mixture stiffens
Gently fold in the food colouring and blended ground almonds and icing sugar until the mixture thickens
Pop the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm round nozzle
Pipe 5cm circles onto the baking tray lined with greaseproof paper
Pat down any peaks with a slightly damp finger
Sharply tap the bottom of the tray to release any air bubbles from the macaroons, then set aside for 60 minutes (the macaroon shells are ready to go in the oven when they are no longer sticky to the touch)
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160C
Bake the macaroons in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through and until they peel off the baking sheet.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Carefully peel away the greaseproof paper and set aside to cool completely.
Whip the double cream until soft peaks form and cols in the orange food colouring
Use the filling to sandwich the macaroons together then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes
We used green icing to make the stem of the pumpkin (optional)

For the meringue ghost

4 egg whites (medium, each weighing 30g)
225g caster sugar

Preheat oven to 110C
Line a baking sheet with a non-stick parchment
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and dry
Add a table spoon of sugar for each egg white and whisk after each addition until stiff
Add half the remaining sugar and whisk in, localised whisking, will turn shiny and glossy
Add the rest of the sugar and gently fold in
Pipe mixture onto the baking sheet
Bake for 35 minutes until the meringues lift off easily of the paper
Leave to cool and use a food friendly back pen for the eyes and mouth