Place the pumpkin in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until warm.

Add the pumpkin pie spice and shiratamako flour and mix until fully combined.

Take a small piece of dough and knead it together with some cocoa powder to dye it brown. Divide the remaining dough into 9 balls. Make grooves around the sides with a skewer to create pumpkin shapes.

Divide the brown dough into 9 pieces and shape them into stems. Stick one onto each pumpkin.

Place the pumpkins in a pot of boiling water, and once they rise to the surface, boil for 1 minute. Place them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Place the water, sugar, soy sauce and katakuriko into a small pot set to medium heat. Heat until the sauce has thickened.

Skewer 3 pumpkins onto each skewer and coat in the mitarashi sauce.