Indulge in a Silky Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle

Smooth, aromatic and not overly sugary, this delightful dessert embodies harvest warmth. I’m not a fan of prepared pumpkin – the taste is bland and thin – so I prefer baking some butternut or Kent squash. Roasting coaxes out the inherent sugars removing unwanted water, producing a smooth, flavourful puree which adds real depth. Golden nut brittle adds the perfect finish: caramelized, rich and providing a textural contrast to offset the velvety texture.

Autumn Cheesecake and Maple Pecan Brittle

To make 200g pumpkin puree, cut 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin into chunks, bake, lightly covered, in a hot oven cooked through but not colored. Puree using a powerful blender.

Prep 10 min
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 60 minutes
Chill overnight
Serves 8-10

For the Base

• 200g ginger nut biscuits
• 70g unsalted butter, softened, with more for the tin
• sea salt

Cheesecake Mixture

• full-fat cream cheese
• 150g caster sugar
• citrus peel
• squash mash (prepared earlier)
• thickener
• aromatic cinnamon
• ginger powder
• nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• room-temperature eggs, at room temperature
• sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Maple Pecan Brittle Topping

• maple sweetener
• fine sugar
• chopped pecans, roughly chopped
• sea salt flakes
• heavy cream

Set the oven to 185C (165C fan) coat the entire interior using a cake tin. In a food processor the cookies into crumbs, place in a medium bowl. Mix in the melted butter and salt, combine coating the crumbs. Tip into the buttered container, compact it well, heat until set, take out and cool.

Turn down the heat to 175C (155C fan). In the meantime, place the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest in a stand mixer, mix using the paddle on medium-low until well blended. Incorporate the spiced pumpkin mix, and beat on medium-low well mixed. Mix in eggs individually, beating in well after each one, follow with the cream and extract, and beat until combined.

Transfer the pumpkin filling on to the set base and smooth the top using a spatula. Tap the tin gently on a surface to remove bubbles, then bake the cheesecake in the middle of the oven for about three-quarters of an hour with set edges and a soft center. Turn off the oven, crack the door open and leave the cheesecake to cool for an hour. When cooled, refrigerate for 6+ hours (and up to three days), until firm.

While waiting, create the topping (in advance). Preheat the oven to a high temperature cover a tray using liner. Stir together the ingredients in a pot and heat slowly over a low heat until dissolved. Add in the chopped pecans, then remove from the heat transfer to the sheet. Heat until golden, until caramelized, then remove and leave to cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, chop into irregular pieces place in a container chilled.

Remove the cake from its tin and transfer to a platter. Beat the cream until fluffy, then spoon over the center leaving a 3-4cm border. Sprinkle the brittle across the surface, then serve with extra pecan brittle alongside.