Savor a Silky Autumn Cheesecake with Crunchy Maple Pecans
Silky, flavorful and perfectly sweetened, this delightful dessert embodies harvest warmth. I’m not a fan of canned puree – the taste is bland and thin – so I prefer of roasting some butternut or Kent squash. Baking brings out the inherent sugars while evaporating excess moisture, resulting in a deep, aromatic mash which adds genuine complexity. The maple pecan brittle completes the dessert: golden, nutty and offering a satisfying crisp complementing the cheesecake’s creamy softness.
Pumpkin Cheesecake and Maple Pecan Brittle
For about one cup of puree, dice 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin into chunks, cook, lightly covered, in a hot oven until soft but not browned. Blend using a powerful blender.
Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 1 hour
Chill at least 6 hours
Serves about 10 people
For the Base
- gingersnap cookies
- rich butter, melted, and some for coating
- sea salt
For the Filling
- full-fat cream cheese
- white sugar
- citrus peel
- 200g pumpkin puree (see introduction)
- 2 tsp cornflour
- aromatic cinnamon
- ginger powder
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- hint of cloves
- room-temperature eggs, warmed slightly
- 100ml soured cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Maple Pecan Brittle Topping
- maple sweetener
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 90g pecans, in chunks
- sea salt flakes
- heavy cream
Set the oven to 185C (165C fan) and lightly grease the base and sides using a cake tin. Using a processor the cookies to fine crumbs, transfer to a container. Add the melted butter and salt, combine until moistened. Tip into the buttered container, press down firmly, heat until set, then remove and leave to cool.
Lower the oven temperature to 355F. At the same time, put the cheese, sweetener, and zest in the bowl of an electric mixer, mix with the paddle attachment at a gentle pace until smooth and creamy. Add the pumpkin puree, cornflour and spices, then mix at low speed until incorporated. Introduce the eggs individually, incorporating fully between each addition, follow with the tangy cream and flavoring, and beat until fully incorporated.
Scoop the cheesecake mixture over the set base even the surface using a spatula. Tap the tin gently on the counter to dispel any air bubbles, then heat the cheesecake on the middle rack for about three-quarters of an hour until the sides are firm with a jiggly middle. Stop baking, crack the door open and leave the cheesecake to cool for 60 minutes. After cooling, refrigerate for 6+ hours (or longer), until fully chilled.
While waiting, prepare the brittle (in advance). Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan) cover a tray with baking paper. Stir together the syrup and sweetener over heat mixing gently until dissolved. Stir in the pecans and sea salt, then remove from the heat and spread on the tray. Cook for 8 minutes, until caramelized, take out and cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, cut roughly and store in a container frozen.
Open the cake from its tin place on a serving dish. Whisk the cream to soft peaks, then add on top of the cake leaving a 3-4cm border. Sprinkle the brittle across the surface, with additional brittle for serving.
