Indulge in a Smooth Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Maple Pecan Brittle

Silky, flavorful and just sweet enough, this delightful dessert captures fall coziness. I avoid canned puree – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I prefer to roast fresh squash varieties. Baking coaxes out the sweet flavor removing excess moisture, producing a rich, tasty base that gives the cheesecake authentic character. Golden nut brittle completes the dessert: caramelized, rich and providing a textural contrast to offset the velvety texture.

Pumpkin Cheesecake and Maple Pecan Brittle

To make about one cup of puree, chop 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin into chunks, then roast, with a cover, at 390F until tender without browning. Puree until smooth.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 1 hour 45 minutes
Cool 1 hr
Chill 6 hr+
Serves 8 to 10

Crumb Crust

• 200g ginger nut biscuits
• rich butter, melted, with more for the tin
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt

Creamy Layer

• full-fat cream cheese
• white sugar
• citrus peel
• squash mash (see introduction)
• thickener
• cinnamon spice
• warm ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• clove spice
• 2 large eggs, not cold
• tangy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Crunchy Finish

• maple sweetener
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 90g pecans, roughly chopped
• a pinch of salt
• 150ml double cream

Preheat your oven to 365F and lightly grease the entire interior of a 20cm round springform tin. In a food processor the cookies to fine crumbs, transfer to a medium bowl. Incorporate the salty butter, combine coating the crumbs. Place in the buttered container, press down firmly, heat until set, then remove and leave to cool.

Turn down the setting to 355F. In the meantime, put the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer, mix using the paddle slowly to a creamy texture. Add the spiced pumpkin mix, and beat at low speed until combined. Introduce the eggs separately, mixing thoroughly one by one, follow with the tangy cream and flavoring, whip until combined.

Pour the cheesecake mixture over the cooled biscuit base level it out with a tool. Give it a gentle shake on a surface to remove bubbles, then heat the cake on the middle rack until set with set edges with a jiggly middle. Switch off the heat, keep the oven slightly open and leave the cheesecake to cool for an hour. When cooled, chill for at least six hours (or longer), until completely set.

Meanwhile, make the pecan brittle (up to three days ahead). Preheat the oven to 210C (190C fan) cover a tray with baking paper. Stir together the maple syrup and sugar in a pot and heat slowly on low until dissolved. Stir in the chopped pecans, stop heating transfer to the sheet. Bake for about eight minutes, until caramelized, then remove and leave to cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, chop into irregular pieces keeping in a sealed jar in the freezer.

Remove the cheesecake from its tin move to a plate. Beat the cream to a light consistency, then spoon over the center with a clear edge. Sprinkle the brittle on top, offering more on the side.