Indulge in a Silky Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle
Silky, flavorful and not overly sugary, this seasonal treat captures autumnal comfort. I’m not a fan of canned puree – the taste is bland and thin – so I’ve taken the extra step of roasting some butternut or Kent squash. Roasting brings out the inherent sugars and reduces unwanted water, resulting in a deep, aromatic mash imparting genuine complexity. Golden nut brittle completes the dessert: toasty, flavorful and providing a textural contrast complementing the smooth filling.
Pumpkin Cheesecake and Crunchy Pecan Topping
Prepare the pumpkin base, dice fresh pumpkin pieces into cubes, then roast, lightly covered, at 200C (180C fan) until soft but not browned. Blend in a high-speed blender.
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hour 45 minutes
Cool 60 minutes
Chill overnight
Serves 8-10
Base Ingredients
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
- rich butter, liquefied, plus extra for greasing
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Cheesecake Mixture
- soft cheese
- white sugar
- orange zest
- 200g pumpkin puree (as described above)
- 2 tsp cornflour
- cinnamon spice
- ginger powder
- freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- room-temperature eggs, warmed slightly
- 100ml soured cream
- pure vanilla
Pecan Garnish
- maple sweetener
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- nut pieces, roughly chopped
- 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
- heavy cream
Heat the oven to 365F coat the bottom and edges with a springform pan. Using a processor the ginger nuts into crumbs, place in a mixing bowl. Mix in the melted butter and salt, combine until moistened. Place in the buttered container, even it out, heat until set, take out and cool.
Reduce the setting to a lower temp. In the meantime, add the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest into a mixer bowl, mix using the paddle slowly to a creamy texture. Mix in the pumpkin puree, cornflour and spices, and beat on medium-low until incorporated. Mix in eggs individually, beating in well one by one, then add the cream and extract, and beat until smooth.
Scoop the pumpkin filling on to the set base and smooth the top with a tool. Tap the tin gently on a worktop to dispel any air bubbles, then bake the dessert centered in the oven until set until the sides are firm and the centre is slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let it cool down for one hour. When cooled, refrigerate for 6+ hours (and up to three days), until fully chilled.
While waiting, create the topping (in advance). Set the oven to a high temperature and prepare a baking sheet using liner. Mix the syrup and sweetener in a small saucepan and heat slowly gently until dissolved. Stir in the nuts and salt, then remove from the heat transfer to the sheet. Cook for 8 minutes, until golden and bubbly, set aside. After cooling completely, cut roughly keeping in a container in the freezer.
Remove the cake from its tin and transfer to a platter. Beat the cream until fluffy, then place into the middle of the cheesecake with a clear edge. Add the crunchy bits over the top, with additional brittle for serving.
