Savor a Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake with Crunchy Maple Pecans
Smooth, flavorful and just sweet enough, this seasonal treat embodies harvest warmth. I’m not a fan of tinned pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I prefer to roast some butternut or Kent squash. The oven’s heat coaxes out the sweet flavor and reduces excess moisture, resulting in a rich, tasty base that gives the cheesecake authentic character. A crunchy pecan topping adds the perfect finish: toasty, flavorful and providing a textural contrast to offset the velvety texture.
Autumn Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle
Prepare the pumpkin base, dice 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin in sections, cook, loosely covered, at 390F cooked through but not colored. Puree using a powerful blender.
Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook 1 hour 45 minutes
Cool 60 minutes
Chill overnight
Serves about 10 people
Crumb Crust
- gingersnap cookies
- 70g unsalted butter, softened, and some for coating
- sea salt
Cheesecake Mixture
- 500g cream cheese
- white sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 200g pumpkin puree (see introduction)
- cornstarch
- aromatic cinnamon
- ginger powder
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- hint of cloves
- fresh eggs, not cold
- tangy cream
- vanilla
For the Maple Pecan Brittle Topping
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 90g pecans, in chunks
- a pinch of salt
- 150ml double cream
Preheat your oven to 365F coat the base and sides of a 20cm round springform tin. Using a processor the ginger nuts until crumbly, transfer to a medium bowl. Incorporate the butter and salt, combine so the crumbs are evenly damp. Transfer to the buttered container, even it out, cook briefly, set aside to cool.
Turn down the oven temperature to 175C (155C fan). Meanwhile, put the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest into a mixer bowl, mix with the paddle attachment at a gentle pace until smooth and creamy. Incorporate the spiced pumpkin mix, and beat gently until incorporated. Mix in eggs separately, incorporating fully after each one, then add the soured cream and vanilla, and beat until smooth.
Scoop the pumpkin filling over the set base even the surface with a tool. Give it a gentle shake on the counter to dispel any air bubbles, then bake the cheesecake on the middle rack for 45 minutes with set edges and a soft center. Switch off the heat, crack the door open and leave the cheesecake to cool for an hour. When cooled, chill for at least six hours (or longer), until fully chilled.
Meanwhile, make the pecan brittle (up to three days ahead). Preheat the oven to 410F and line a small oven tray with parchment. Stir together the ingredients over heat and stir gently over a low heat until dissolved. Add in the chopped pecans, stop heating and scrape into the lined tray. Cook for 8 minutes, until caramelized, then remove and leave to cool. When fully hardened, chop into irregular pieces and store in a container in the freezer.
Open the dessert from its tin place on a serving dish. Whisk the cream to a light consistency, then spoon over the center leaving a 3-4cm border. Add the crunchy bits over the top, with additional brittle for serving.
