Discover this Creamy Autumn Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle
Velvety, flavorful and just sweet enough, this delightful dessert embodies fall coziness. I avoid tinned pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I recommend baking some butternut or Kent squash. Baking coaxes out its natural sweetness removing extra liquid, producing a smooth, flavourful puree that gives the cheesecake authentic character. The maple pecan brittle adds the perfect finish: golden, nutty and providing a textural contrast against the velvety texture.
Autumn Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle
Prepare 200g pumpkin puree, cut fresh pumpkin pieces into cubes, cook, loosely covered, at 390F cooked through but not colored. Process in a high-speed blender.
Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 1 hour
Chill at least 6 hours
Serves 8 to 10
Base Ingredients
- spiced biscuits
- melted butter, liquefied, plus extra for greasing
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Cheesecake Mixture
- soft cheese
- fine sugar
- orange zest
- squash mash (see introduction)
- thickener
- aromatic cinnamon
- warm ginger
- freshly grated nutmeg
- clove spice
- fresh eggs, warmed slightly
- 100ml soured cream
- vanilla
For the Maple Pecan Brittle Topping
- pure maple syrup
- fine sugar
- nut pieces, in chunks
- 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
- 150ml double cream
Heat the oven to 365F coat the base and sides of a 20cm round springform tin. Pulse the biscuits to fine crumbs, place in a container. Add the melted butter and salt, and mix until moistened. Tip into the buttered container, compact it well, bake for 10 minutes, take out and cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to a lower temp. At the same time, place the cheese, sweetener, and zest into a mixer bowl, mix on low speed on medium-low to a creamy texture. Add the spiced pumpkin mix, and beat on medium-low until incorporated. Mix in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly one by one, follow with the soured cream and vanilla, and beat until combined.
Transfer the pumpkin filling over the cooled biscuit base even the surface using a spatula. Give it a gentle shake on a worktop to dispel any air bubbles, then cook the dessert on the middle rack for 45 minutes until the edges are set and the centre is slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven, crack the door open allowing it to cool for 60 minutes. When cooled, chill for at least six hours (and up to three days), until firm.
In the meantime, make the pecan brittle (in advance). Set the oven to 410F and prepare a baking sheet with baking paper. Mix the syrup and sweetener in a small saucepan and stir gently on low for about a minute. Stir in the pecans and sea salt, take off the stove and spread on the tray. Cook for 8 minutes, until golden and bubbly, set aside. Once the brittle is completely hard, break into chunks keeping in a container in the freezer.
Open the cake from the pan and transfer to a platter. Whisk the cream to a light consistency, then add over the center leaving a 3-4cm border. Sprinkle the brittle across the surface, then serve with extra pecan brittle alongside.
