Discover a Silky Autumn Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle
Smooth, aromatic and perfectly sweetened, this delightful dessert captures fall coziness. I’m not a fan of tinned pumpkin – the taste is bland and thin – so I recommend to roast fresh squash varieties. Baking coaxes out the inherent sugars while evaporating unwanted water, producing a smooth, flavourful puree imparting authentic character. The maple pecan brittle provides the final flourish: caramelized, rich and providing a textural contrast complementing the cheesecake’s creamy softness.
Pumpkin Cheesecake and Maple Pecan Brittle
For 200g pumpkin puree, chop a medium squash, peeled and seeded in sections, bake, loosely covered, at 390F until soft but not browned. Process in a high-speed blender.
Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 1 hour
Chill overnight
Serves 8 to 10
Crumb Crust
- spiced biscuits
- rich butter, liquefied, plus extra for greasing
- a pinch of salt
For the Filling
- full-fat cream cheese
- fine sugar
- orange zest
- 200g pumpkin puree (see introduction)
- 2 tsp cornflour
- cinnamon spice
- ginger powder
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- fresh eggs, not cold
- sour cream
- pure vanilla
Crunchy Finish
- pure maple syrup
- sugar
- 90g pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
- 150ml double cream
Heat the oven to 185C (165C fan) and lightly grease the bottom and edges with a springform pan. Pulse the ginger nuts until crumbly, then tip into a medium bowl. Mix in the butter and salt, stir until moistened. Tip into the greased tin, press down firmly, heat until set, take out and cool.
Lower the setting to a lower temp. Meanwhile, put the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer, then beat using the paddle slowly until well blended. Add the spiced pumpkin mix, then mix on medium-low until incorporated. Add the eggs individually, beating in well between each addition, then add the cream and extract, whip until fully incorporated.
Pour the spiced cream over the cooled biscuit base level it out using a spatula. Give it a gentle shake on the counter to dispel any air bubbles, then bake the cheesecake centered in the oven until set until the sides are firm and the centre is slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar allowing it to cool for one hour. Once it’s at room temperature, cool in the fridge (or for days), until firm.
While waiting, prepare the brittle (ahead of time). Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan) cover a tray with parchment. Mix the ingredients in a pot and heat slowly on low for about a minute. Stir in the nuts and salt, stop heating transfer to the sheet. Heat until golden, until crisp, take out and cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, chop into irregular pieces place in a container chilled.
Remove the cheesecake from the pan and transfer to a platter. Whisk the cream to a light consistency, then add into the middle of the cheesecake leaving space around. Add the crunchy bits over the top, offering more on the side.
