Indulge in a Silky Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Maple Pecan Brittle

Velvety, flavorful and not overly sugary, this delightful dessert is a celebration of harvest warmth. I’m not a fan of tinned pumpkin – it lacks depth and flavor – so I recommend baking your own pumpkin. The oven’s heat enhances its natural sweetness while evaporating extra liquid, producing a smooth, flavourful puree imparting genuine complexity. Golden nut brittle completes the dessert: golden, nutty and providing a textural contrast to offset the cheesecake’s creamy softness.

Autumn Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle

To make the pumpkin base, dice a medium squash, peeled and seeded into chunks, cook, loosely covered, in a hot oven cooked through but not colored. Process using a powerful blender.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 60 minutes
Chill overnight
Serves 8 to 10

Base Ingredients

• gingersnap cookies
• melted butter, softened, and some for coating
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt

Cheesecake Mixture

• 500g cream cheese
• 150g caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• homemade puree (as described above)
• 2 tsp cornflour
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ginger powder
• nutmeg
• hint of cloves
• 2 large eggs, not cold
• tangy cream
• pure vanilla

Pecan Garnish

• pure maple syrup
• sugar
• nut pieces, in chunks
• sea salt flakes
• heavy cream

Preheat your oven to 365F then butter the base and sides using a cake tin. In a food processor the biscuits into crumbs, place in a container. Mix in the salty butter, combine coating the crumbs. Transfer to the buttered container, press down firmly, bake for 10 minutes, take out and cool.

Turn down the setting to a lower temp. In the meantime, put the base ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer, whip on low speed slowly until smooth and creamy. Mix in the spiced pumpkin mix, blend at low speed well mixed. Add the eggs individually, mixing thoroughly one by one, next include the tangy cream and flavoring, whip until smooth.

Transfer the pumpkin filling onto the prepared crust even the surface with a tool. Give it a gentle shake on the counter to remove bubbles, then bake the dessert in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes until the edges are set and a soft center. Stop baking, crack the door open allowing it to cool for one hour. After cooling, chill for at least six hours (or for days), until firm.

While waiting, make the pecan brittle (ahead of time). Set the oven to a high temperature and line a small oven tray with baking paper. Stir together the ingredients over heat mixing on low briefly. Add in the pecans and sea salt, stop heating transfer to the sheet. Bake for about eight minutes, until caramelized, then remove and leave to cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, break into chunks place in a container in the freezer.

Remove the cake from the pan move to a plate. Whisk the cream to soft peaks, then add over the center leaving a 3-4cm border. Sprinkle the brittle across the surface, with additional brittle for serving.