Savor a Smooth Autumn Cheesecake with Crunchy Maple Pecans

Velvety, flavorful and just sweet enough, this delightful dessert captures harvest warmth. I skip prepared pumpkin – the taste is bland and thin – so I recommend of roasting fresh squash varieties. Roasting brings out the inherent sugars and reduces extra liquid, yielding a rich, tasty base imparting authentic character. A crunchy pecan topping completes the dessert: caramelized, rich and with just the right amount of crunch complementing the smooth filling.

Pumpkin Cheesecake and Maple Pecan Brittle

For about one cup of puree, chop fresh pumpkin pieces into chunks, bake, with a cover, at 390F until tender without browning. Puree using a powerful blender.

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hour 45 minutes
Cool 60 minutes
Chill 6 hr+
Serves about 10 people

Crumb Crust

• spiced biscuits
• rich butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt

For the Filling

• 500g cream cheese
• white sugar
• orange zest
• 200g pumpkin puree (prepared earlier)
• thickener
• cinnamon spice
• warm ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• hint of cloves
• fresh eggs, warmed slightly
• 100ml soured cream
• vanilla

Pecan Garnish

• pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 90g pecans, coarsely cut
• a pinch of salt
• whipping cream

Heat the oven to 365F and lightly grease the entire interior of a 20cm round springform tin. Pulse the ginger nuts to fine crumbs, transfer to a medium bowl. Mix in the melted butter and salt, and mix so the crumbs are evenly damp. Place in the prepared pan, even it out, heat until set, take out and cool.

Reduce the heat to a lower temp. Meanwhile, put the cheese, sweetener, and zest into a mixer bowl, mix with the paddle attachment on medium-low until smooth and creamy. Mix in the spiced pumpkin mix, blend gently until combined. Mix in eggs separately, incorporating fully after each one, then add the cream and extract, whip until combined.

Scoop the spiced cream on to the prepared crust and smooth the top with a small spatula. Tap the tin gently on a worktop to release trapped air, then heat the dessert centered in the oven for 45 minutes until the sides are firm and the centre is slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven, keep the oven slightly open and leave the cheesecake to cool for one hour. Once it’s at room temperature, cool in the fridge (or longer), until fully chilled.

Meanwhile, prepare the brittle (in advance). Preheat the oven to 210C (190C fan) cover a tray with parchment. Stir together the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir gently gently for about a minute. Stir in the pecans and sea salt, take off the stove and scrape into the lined tray. Cook for 8 minutes, until caramelized, set aside. Once the brittle is completely hard, cut roughly place in an airtight container in the freezer.

Remove the dessert from the pan place on a serving dish. Beat the cream to a light consistency, then spoon on top of the cake leaving a 3-4cm border. Sprinkle the brittle across the surface, offering more on the side.