Discover this Smooth Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle
Velvety, spiced and just sweet enough, this delightful dessert is a celebration of autumnal comfort. I avoid tinned pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I’ve taken the extra step baking your own pumpkin. Roasting brings out the inherent sugars while evaporating unwanted water, resulting in a rich, tasty base imparting genuine complexity. The maple pecan brittle completes the dessert: golden, nutty and providing a textural contrast complementing the velvety texture.
Autumn Cheesecake and Crunchy Pecan Topping
For 200g pumpkin puree, chop 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin into cubes, bake, loosely covered, in a hot oven cooked through but not colored. Blend until smooth.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 60 minutes
Chill 6 hr+
Serves 8 to 10
Crumb Crust
- gingersnap cookies
- 70g unsalted butter, softened, and some for coating
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
For the Filling
- soft cheese
- white sugar
- citrus peel
- homemade puree (as described above)
- 2 tsp cornflour
- cinnamon spice
- warm ginger
- freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- room-temperature eggs, at room temperature
- 100ml soured cream
- vanilla
Pecan Garnish
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- sugar
- 90g pecans, coarsely cut
- sea salt flakes
- heavy cream
Preheat your oven to 365F then butter the base and sides of a 20cm round springform tin. Pulse the ginger nuts until crumbly, place in a mixing bowl. Incorporate the salty butter, stir so the crumbs are evenly damp. Transfer to the prepared pan, even it out, cook briefly, then remove and leave to cool.
Lower the oven temperature to 355F. Meanwhile, put the base ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer, then beat with the paddle attachment on medium-low until well blended. Incorporate the puree, thickener, and seasonings, blend at low speed well mixed. Mix in eggs individually, incorporating fully between each addition, then add the tangy cream and flavoring, mix until fully incorporated.
Transfer the cheesecake mixture over the prepared crust level it out with a tool. Give it a gentle shake on the counter to dispel any air bubbles, then bake the dessert on the middle rack for about three-quarters of an hour with set edges and a soft center. Stop baking, crack the door open allowing it to cool for an hour. When cooled, cool in the fridge (and up to three days), until fully chilled.
Meanwhile, prepare the brittle (ahead of time). Set the oven to 210C (190C fan) and prepare a baking sheet with baking paper. Combine the syrup and sweetener in a small saucepan mixing gently briefly. Mix the chopped pecans, then remove from the heat transfer to the sheet. Bake for about eight minutes, until caramelized, set aside. After cooling completely, chop into irregular pieces place in a container chilled.
Remove the cheesecake from the pan move to a plate. Whip the cream until fluffy, then place over the center leaving a 3-4cm border. Scatter most of the pecan brittle across the surface, with additional brittle for serving.
