Discover this Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle
Silky, spiced and not overly sugary, this delightful dessert embodies fall coziness. I avoid canned puree – the taste is bland and thin – so I’ve taken the extra step to roast your own pumpkin. The oven’s heat enhances the sweet flavor removing extra liquid, resulting in a rich, tasty base which adds authentic character. The maple pecan brittle adds the perfect finish: toasty, flavorful and with just the right amount of crunch to offset the cheesecake’s creamy softness.
Autumn Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle
To make 200g pumpkin puree, dice a medium squash, peeled and seeded into chunks, bake, loosely covered, in a hot oven until soft but not browned. Process until smooth.
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hour 45 minutes
Cool 1 hr
Chill 6 hr+
Serves about 10 people
Crumb Crust
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
- melted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Cheesecake Mixture
- soft cheese
- fine sugar
- citrus peel
- homemade puree (see introduction)
- cornstarch
- cinnamon spice
- warm ginger
- nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- 2 large eggs, not cold
- tangy cream
- pure vanilla
For the Maple Pecan Brittle Topping
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- fine sugar
- 90g pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
- 150ml double cream
Set the oven at a moderate heat coat the bottom and edges of a 20cm round springform tin. Pulse the biscuits into crumbs, transfer to a container. Add the salty butter, stir so the crumbs are evenly damp. Transfer to the greased tin, press down firmly, cook briefly, take out and cool.
Lower the oven temperature to 175C (155C fan). In the meantime, put the cheese, sweetener, and zest in the bowl of an electric mixer, whip with the paddle attachment slowly until smooth and creamy. Mix in the spiced pumpkin mix, blend on medium-low until combined. Add the eggs separately, beating in well one by one, follow with the soured cream and vanilla, whip until smooth.
Pour the pumpkin filling onto the set base level it out with a tool. Tap the tin gently on a surface to release trapped air, then heat the dessert on the middle rack until set until the sides are firm and a soft center. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and leave the cheesecake to cool for 60 minutes. When cooled, cool in the fridge (or for days), until completely set.
While waiting, create the topping (in advance). Preheat the oven to 210C (190C fan) cover a tray with baking paper. Stir together the syrup and sweetener over heat and stir gently over a low heat until dissolved. Mix the nuts and salt, take off the stove and scrape into the lined tray. Heat until golden, until golden and bubbly, then remove and leave to cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, chop into irregular pieces place in a container frozen.
Remove the cheesecake from the springform move to a plate. Whip the cream to a light consistency, then place on top of the cake leaving space around. Scatter most of the pecan brittle across the surface, with additional brittle for serving.
