Christina Verrelli’s Pumpkin Ravioli with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream was the winner of a million dollars at the Pillsbury Bakeoff last month in Orlando.

Martha Stewart announced all the winners live on her television show broadcast from the Bakeoff. Martha first awarded the four category winners of which Christina was won in the Sweet Treats category. The other winners included Maria Vasseur from Valencia CA won Breakfast and Brunches for her Sausage-Pomodoro Brunch Bake; Terri Sherman from Palos Heights, IL won Entertaining Appetizers with her Asparagus, Artichoke and Red Pepper Pizza and Donna Wolfe of Hamilton, NJ won Dinner Made Easy for her Chicken Empanada Cones. For recipes and photographs of those winning recipes (and lots more info about the contest and contestants) click here.

I sat down with Christina (from Devon, PA) after she won to get some tips on making the Pumpkin Ravioli ahead. She said you can assemble the ravioli and put them in the refrigerator up to two hours before baking them. Or, if you want to freeze them, bake them part way — omitting brushing on the butter — then while the oven is preheating, let them thaw a little bit, brush them with the butter and bake a minute or two longer.

Pumpkin Ravioli with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream
4 T butter, melted
2 (3-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg yolk
1/2 t pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
5 T all-purpose flour
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/3 c finely chopped pecans
2 cans Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 c heavy whipping cream
1/8 t salt
5 T caramel syrup
4 T cinnamon sugar

Heat oven to 375°F. Brush 2 large cookie sheets with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and pumpkin with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Add egg yolk, vanilla, sugar, 3 tablespoons of the flour and pumpkin pie spice; beat on low speed until blended. Reserve 4 teaspoons of the pecans; set aside. Stir remaining pecans into pumpkin mixture.

Lightly sprinkle work surface with 1 tablespoon of the flour. Unroll 1 can of dough on floured surface with 1 short side facing you. Press dough into 14×12-inch rectangle. With paring knife, lightly score the dough in half horizontally. Lightly score bottom half of dough into 12 squares (3×2 1/4-inch each). Spoon heaping tablespoon of the pumpkin filling onto center of each square. Gently lift and position unscored half of dough over filling. Starting at the top folded edge, press handle of wooden spoon firmly between mounds and along edges of pumpkin filling to seal. Using toothpick, poke small hole in top of each ravioli. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut between each ravioli; place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon flour, dough sheet and filling. Brush ravioli with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.

Bake 9 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat whipping cream and salt with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the caramel syrup until stiff peaks form. Transfer to serving bowl; cover and refrigerate.

Remove ravioli from oven. Sprinkle ravioli with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar; turn. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.

To serve, place 2 ravioli on each of 12 dessert plates. Drizzle each serving with scant teaspoon of the caramel syrup; sprinkle with reserved chopped pecans. With spoon, swirl remaining 1 tablespoon caramel syrup into bowl of whipped cream. Serve warm ravioli with whipped cream.
Nutritional Information 380 calories, 25 g fat (13 g saturated), 440 milligrams sodium, 1 g fiber, 16 g sugar per serving