Indulge in this Smooth Autumn Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans
Smooth, aromatic and not overly sugary, this delightful dessert captures fall coziness. I avoid tinned pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I prefer to roast fresh squash varieties. The oven’s heat brings out the inherent sugars and reduces extra liquid, resulting in a rich, tasty base imparting authentic character. The maple pecan brittle completes the dessert: golden, nutty and providing a textural contrast complementing the smooth filling.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle
For about one cup of puree, dice a medium squash, peeled and seeded in sections, cook, lightly covered, at 390F until tender without browning. Puree until smooth.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 1 hour
Chill 6 hr+
Serves 8-10
Crumb Crust
- spiced biscuits
- 70g unsalted butter, liquefied, with more for the tin
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
For the Filling
- 500g cream cheese
- white sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 200g pumpkin puree (as described above)
- thickener
- aromatic cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- freshly grated nutmeg
- hint of cloves
- fresh eggs, not cold
- sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pecan Garnish
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- sugar
- chopped pecans, roughly chopped
- a pinch of salt
- 150ml double cream
Set the oven at a moderate heat coat the base and sides using a cake tin. Using a processor the biscuits until crumbly, then tip into a container. Add the salty butter, combine until moistened. Place in the greased tin, compact it well, bake for 10 minutes, take out and cool.
Turn down the heat to 355F. Meanwhile, place the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer, whip on low speed on medium-low until smooth and creamy. Mix in the puree, thickener, and seasonings, and beat on medium-low well mixed. Mix in eggs individually, beating in well after each one, follow with the cream and extract, whip until fully incorporated.
Pour the spiced cream on to the cooled biscuit base even the surface using a spatula. Lightly tap the pan on a surface to release trapped air, then bake the cake on the middle rack for 45 minutes until the sides are firm and the centre is slightly wobbly. Switch off the heat, leave the door ajar and leave the cheesecake to cool for one hour. When cooled, chill for at least six hours (or for days), until completely set.
Meanwhile, make the pecan brittle (in advance). Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan) cover a tray using liner. Stir together the syrup and sweetener in a pot and stir gently over a low heat for about a minute. Add in the nuts and salt, take off the stove and spread on the tray. Heat until golden, until caramelized, then remove and leave to cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, chop into irregular pieces and store in a container frozen.
Remove the dessert from its tin place on a serving dish. Beat the cream until fluffy, then spoon into the middle of the cheesecake with a clear edge. Scatter most of the pecan brittle on top, with additional brittle for serving.
