Savor a Smooth Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle
Silky, flavorful and just sweet enough, this seasonal treat is a celebration of harvest warmth. I skip prepared pumpkin – the taste is bland and thin – so I’ve taken the extra step to roast some butternut or Kent squash. Roasting coaxes out the sweet flavor while evaporating extra liquid, yielding a smooth, flavourful puree which adds genuine complexity. The maple pecan brittle completes the dessert: golden, nutty and offering a satisfying crisp to offset the cheesecake’s creamy softness.
Autumn Cheesecake with Crunchy Pecan Topping
For 200g pumpkin puree, dice 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin into cubes, cook, lightly covered, at 200C (180C fan) until soft but not browned. Blend until smooth.
Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 60 minutes
Chill 6 hr+
Serves 8-10
Base Ingredients
- gingersnap cookies
- 70g unsalted butter, softened, and some for coating
- sea salt
Cheesecake Mixture
- 500g cream cheese
- white sugar
- orange zest
- squash mash (as described above)
- 2 tsp cornflour
- aromatic cinnamon
- ginger powder
- freshly grated nutmeg
- hint of cloves
- fresh eggs, at room temperature
- sour cream
- pure vanilla
Crunchy Finish
- pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 90g pecans, coarsely cut
- sea salt flakes
- 150ml double cream
Set the oven to 185C (165C fan) then butter the entire interior of a 20cm round springform tin. Using a processor the ginger nuts until crumbly, then tip into a container. Mix in the melted butter and salt, combine until moistened. Tip into the buttered container, even it out, heat until set, then remove and leave to cool.
Lower the setting to 355F. At the same time, place the cheese, sweetener, and zest into a mixer bowl, whip using the paddle on medium-low to a creamy texture. Incorporate the puree, thickener, and seasonings, and beat gently until combined. Mix in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each one, follow with the cream and extract, whip until smooth.
Scoop the spiced cream over the cooled biscuit base even the surface with a tool. Lightly tap the pan on a surface to remove bubbles, then heat the cheesecake on the middle rack for 45 minutes until the sides are firm with a jiggly middle. Stop baking, keep the oven slightly open and leave the cheesecake to cool for an hour. When cooled, cool in the fridge (or longer), until firm.
Meanwhile, make the pecan brittle (in advance). Set the oven to 210C (190C fan) cover a tray with parchment. Stir together the ingredients in a pot mixing on low briefly. Add in the nuts and salt, then remove from the heat and spread on the tray. Heat until golden, until caramelized, set aside. After cooling completely, chop into irregular pieces keeping in an airtight container chilled.
Remove the dessert from its tin and transfer to a platter. Whisk the cream until fluffy, then add over the center leaving space around. Scatter most of the pecan brittle on top, with additional brittle for serving.
