Discover this Silky Autumn Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans

Silky, flavorful and perfectly sweetened, this pumpkin cheesecake captures autumnal comfort. I avoid tinned pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I’ve taken the extra step of roasting fresh squash varieties. Roasting brings out the sweet flavor removing unwanted water, yielding a smooth, flavourful puree which adds authentic character. Golden nut brittle adds the perfect finish: toasty, flavorful and offering a satisfying crisp to offset the velvety texture.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle

To make the pumpkin base, dice fresh pumpkin pieces in sections, then roast, lightly covered, at 390F until soft but not browned. Process in a high-speed blender.

Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 1 hr
Chill at least 6 hours
Serves 8-10

Crumb Crust

• 200g ginger nut biscuits
• 70g unsalted butter, liquefied, plus extra for greasing
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt

For the Filling

• soft cheese
• fine sugar
• orange zest
• homemade puree (see introduction)
• thickener
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• warm ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• clove spice
• fresh eggs, warmed slightly
• tangy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Maple Pecan Brittle Topping

• maple sweetener
• fine sugar
• chopped pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
• 150ml double cream

Preheat your oven at a moderate heat coat the bottom and edges with a springform pan. In a food processor the cookies until crumbly, then tip into a medium bowl. Mix in the salty butter, and mix so the crumbs are evenly damp. Tip into the greased tin, even it out, cook briefly, take out and cool.

Lower the oven temperature to 175C (155C fan). In the meantime, put the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest in a stand mixer, mix on low speed at a gentle pace until well blended. Incorporate the spiced pumpkin mix, blend on medium-low until combined. Add the eggs separately, mixing thoroughly after each one, follow with the tangy cream and flavoring, whip until fully incorporated.

Pour the spiced cream onto the prepared crust even the surface using a spatula. Lightly tap the pan on a worktop to release trapped air, then bake the cheesecake on the middle rack for about three-quarters of an hour until the edges are set and a soft center. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let it cool down for 60 minutes. After cooling, cool in the fridge (or for days), until fully chilled.

Meanwhile, make the pecan brittle (in advance). Set the oven to a high temperature and line a small oven tray with baking paper. Combine the maple syrup and sugar in a small saucepan mixing over a low heat for about a minute. Mix the pecans and sea salt, then remove from the heat transfer to the sheet. Cook for 8 minutes, until crisp, take out and cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, cut roughly and store in a container frozen.

Remove the dessert from the springform move to a plate. Beat the cream to soft peaks, then add over the center with a clear edge. Scatter most of the pecan brittle over the top, then serve with extra pecan brittle alongside.