Heat the stock. Dice the pumpkin flesh.

Melt 1 oz (25 g) of the butter in a large heavy-bottomed cooking pot or saucepan and sweat the shallots for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the pumpkin and cook over a moderate heat for 5 minutes. Pour in the hot stock, bring to the boil then cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little; process in batches in the blender until smooth; return to the saucepan.

Stir in the cream, a generous pinch each of sugar and salt and some freshly ground white pepper. Reheat to boiling point. Turn off the heat.

Taste, adding a little more salt if necessary. Add the remaining butter and stir until it has melted.

Ladle the soup into heated soup bowls and sprinkle the coarsely crushed Amaretti on top. Serve at once.