After all of the prep and cooking involved for the recently passed Thanksgiving dinner, I had zero desire to get back into the kitchen this weekend to cook something else. So instead of creating something new, I repurposed something I already had: leftover pumpkin pie. Using a simple reverse spherification cooking technique, I used sodium alginate and calcium lactate to transform shapeless leftover pumpkin pie filling into a sturdy, yolk-like ravioli. I’ve used this technique before to create a deconstructed taro root bubble tea dessert, and especially enjoyed morphing something so traditional and classic into something creative and new.
Many molecular cooking techniques require perfect measurements in weight, but I find reverse spherification to be a little more forgiving than other methods out there. Pumpkin pie filling offers the perfect viscosity to start with, so it makes the few other required steps very easy and almost foolproof. To make the original pumpkin pie filling, I used two cans of pureed pumpkin, a package of Tofutti cream cheese, a few splashes of soy nog mixed with two tablespoons of cornstarch, raw agave to taste—and cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice—all pureed in a blender for a minute or two, then baked for about 45 minutes in a vegan pie crust.
LEFTOVER PUMPKIN PIE RAVIOLI SPHERES
- Yield: 6-8 spheres
Ingredients
for the gelling solution
- 3 cups cold water
- 1 tsp sodium alginate
for the ravioli spheres
- 6 ounces of leftover pumpkin pie filling
- 1 tsp calcium lactate (yes, it’s vegan)
to assemble
- a few dollops of non-dairy whipped cream (I used SoyaToo)
- an inch or two of the pie rind, crushed into a powder with your fingers
Instructions
- Pour three cups of cold water into a large measuring glass cup. Add in the sodium alginate and, using an immersion blender at its highest speed, blend for a full two minutes. Set aside for about 30 minutes to allow the air bubbles to settle.
- Combine the pumpkin filling with the calcium lactate and stir well by hand. Set aside.
- Find a drinking glass with a circular base, no more than 2-3 inches in diameter. Pour a very small amount of the sodium alginate mixture into the bottom of the glass. Then spoon about two tablespoons into the glass. It has to be dropped carefully and in one shot to achieve a perfect spherical shape. Now, tip the glass to a 45-degree angle, then very slowly pour more solution over the top until it’s covered, then slowly raise it back up to a 90-degree level (sort of like pouring a beer carefully into a glass). Now swirl the sphere around in a circular motion for about 30 seconds to create the spherical shape. Set it down and leave it undisturbed for about two minutes.
- By now, the sphere should be very sturdy. Rinse it off under cold water or place it into a bowl of cold water while you make the rest of the spheres. To serve, squirt or spoon a generous amount of vegan whipped cream into the bottom of a serving spoon, then place the ravioli sphere on top. Dust with a little of the pie crust crumbs on top, then serve.
Cara says
Hi, out of curiosity were you using already baked filling for the final product or was it raw?
erinwyso says
I used the baked filling for this, straight out of the leftover pie.
Anonymous says
I'm obsessed with these serving spoons. Do you know where I can order them? LOVE you website by the way!!
erinwyso says
Thanks! We found them at Macy's if I remember correctly. However, they were in the clearance aisle, so I definitely did not pay $45 for them. Hopefully you can find them someone on clearance as well, good luck!
Ilona says
I was also going to ask that question! I did find some cute ones on Amazon by putting “amuse bouche spoons” in the search bar.
Anonymous says
Can you please show some pictures clarifying your technique for the actual reverse spherification?
erinwyso says
Didn't get any for this post, but will keep in mind for doing that in a future post! In the meantime, there are tons of reverse spherification videos on YouTube that are worth checking out!
christine says
wow – how amazing – get yourself on Masterchef my girl:)
erinwyso says
ha! Thank you Christine! They were auditioning in Boston recently … not sure if I'd be able to handle the meat things, but what a thrill it would be to compete!
Danielle Warhola says
so nuts that you figured this out.
Richa says
wow.. wowo.. those spheres are so perfect!!
Dawn says
lovely!
Miguel Cizeron says
Perfect!
Freya says
Oh Lordy, what an amazing idea!!
Caitlin says
you are a rockstar! you need to open a restaurant.
Alice | Smokin Tofu says
Your food is so creative, this looks absolutely brilliant.
LittleMonsterx14 says
wow this is amazing! and anything pumpkin is delicious!
Julie says
Wow, beautiful! How amazingly creative these are. This is a whole new level of yummy 🙂
theroadtoserendipity says
Off to the chemists to see if I can find those ingredients to Heston myself up my very own pumpkin gleaming orbs! They look magnificent! If I CAN source these ingredients I will be messing about with all sorts of things to spherify the entire contents of my fridge 😉
erinwyso says
If you can't find them, they are super-cheap and easy to find on amazon.com (it's where I found my stash!)