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 lacks depth and flavor – so I prefer of roasting fresh squash varieties. Roasting brings out its natural sweetness removing extra liquid, yielding a rich, tasty base that gives the cheesecake genuine complexity. Golden nut brittle provides the final flourish: caramelized, rich and providing a textural contrast against the cheesecake’s creamy softness.

Autumn Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle

To make about one cup of puree, dice a medium squash, peeled and seeded into cubes, cook, lightly covered, at 200C (180C fan) cooked through but not colored. Puree until smooth.

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

Crumb Crust

• spiced biscuits
• 70g unsalted butter, melted, and some for coating
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt

Cheesecake Mixture

• full-fat cream cheese
• fine sugar
• citrus peel
• homemade puree (prepared earlier)
• thickener
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ginger powder
• nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• fresh eggs, at room temperature
• tangy cream
• vanilla

Crunchy Finish

• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• chopped pecans, coarsely cut
• a pinch of salt
• 150ml double cream

Set the oven to 185C (165C fan) coat the entire interior using a cake tin. Pulse the cookies until crumbly, place in a container. Mix in the butter and salt, and mix coating the crumbs. Tip into the greased tin, even it out, cook briefly, take out and cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 175C (155C fan). In the meantime, add the base ingredients into a mixer bowl, mix using the paddle on medium-low to a creamy texture. Add the puree, thickener, and seasonings, blend gently until combined. Add the eggs separately, mixing thoroughly after each one, next include the soured cream and vanilla, mix until combined.

Pour the spiced cream onto the set base even the surface with a tool. Give it a gentle shake on a worktop to release trapped air, then heat the cheesecake centered in the oven for 45 minutes until the sides are firm and the centre is slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar allowing it to cool for an hour. When cooled, refrigerate for 6+ hours (or for days), until fully chilled.

Meanwhile, make the pecan brittle (in advance). Preheat the oven to 410F cover a tray with baking paper. Mix the maple syrup and sugar in a pot and stir gently on low until dissolved. Mix the chopped pecans, take off the stove and spread on the tray. Heat until golden, until golden and bubbly, take out and cool. After cooling completely, chop into irregular pieces place in a container chilled.

Remove the dessert from the springform and transfer to a platter. Whip the cream to a light consistency, then spoon on top of the cake leaving space around. Scatter most of the pecan brittle over the top, then serve with extra pecan brittle alongside.