Indulge in this Creamy Autumn Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans

Silky, flavorful and not overly sugary, this delightful dessert embodies harvest warmth. I skip canned puree – it lacks depth and flavor – so I prefer of roasting fresh squash varieties. Baking brings out the sweet flavor while evaporating unwanted water, yielding a deep, aromatic mash that gives the cheesecake real depth. Golden nut brittle provides the final flourish: golden, nutty and offering a satisfying crisp to offset the smooth filling.

Pumpkin Cheesecake and Maple Pecan Brittle

Prepare about one cup of puree, chop a medium squash, peeled and seeded into chunks, bake, with a cover, at 390F cooked through but not colored. Blend using a powerful blender.

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hour 45 minutes
Cool 1 hour
Chill at least 6 hours
Serves 8-10

Crumb Crust

• spiced biscuits
• melted butter, liquefied, and some for coating
• sea salt

Creamy Layer

• soft cheese
• fine sugar
• orange zest
• 200g pumpkin puree (see introduction)
• 2 tsp cornflour
• aromatic cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• room-temperature eggs, at room temperature
• 100ml soured cream
• pure vanilla

Crunchy Finish

• pure maple syrup
• sugar
• 90g pecans, roughly chopped
• sea salt flakes
• whipping cream

Preheat your oven to 365F coat the entire interior with a springform pan. Using a processor the biscuits to fine crumbs, place in a container. Incorporate the butter and salt, stir coating the crumbs. Place in the buttered container, compact it well, cook briefly, 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, mix on low speed on medium-low until smooth and creamy. Mix in the spiced pumpkin mix, blend on medium-low until incorporated. Introduce the eggs separately, beating in well between each addition, then add the soured cream and vanilla, whip until combined.

Transfer the spiced cream on to the cooled biscuit base even the surface with a tool. Tap the tin gently on a surface to remove bubbles, then bake the cheesecake centered in the oven for about three-quarters of an hour until the edges are set with a jiggly middle. Switch off the heat, crack the door open and leave the cheesecake to cool for one hour. After cooling, refrigerate for 6+ hours (or for days), until fully chilled.

In the meantime, prepare the brittle (ahead of time). Heat the oven to 410F cover a tray with parchment. Mix the ingredients in a pot and heat slowly on low for about a minute. Add in the nuts and salt, then remove from the heat transfer to the sheet. Bake for about eight minutes, until caramelized, take out and cool. When fully hardened, chop into irregular pieces place in a container chilled.

Open the cake from the springform move to a plate. Whisk the cream to a light consistency, then add over the center leaving a 3-4cm border. Sprinkle the brittle over the top, with additional brittle for serving.