Indulge in this Creamy Autumn Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans

Velvety, aromatic and not overly sugary, this pumpkin cheesecake embodies fall coziness. I skip prepared pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I’ve taken the extra step to roast your own pumpkin. The oven’s heat coaxes out its natural sweetness removing extra liquid, producing a deep, aromatic mash that gives the cheesecake authentic character. The maple pecan brittle completes the dessert: caramelized, rich and offering a satisfying crisp complementing the smooth filling.

Autumn Cheesecake and Maple Pecan Brittle

Prepare about one cup of puree, cut 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin into cubes, cook, loosely covered, at 390F until tender without browning. Blend using a powerful blender.

Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 1 hr
Chill at least 6 hours
Serves 8-10

Base Ingredients

• 200g ginger nut biscuits
• rich butter, softened, and some for coating
• sea salt

Cheesecake Mixture

• full-fat cream cheese
• white sugar
• orange zest
• homemade puree (see introduction)
• 2 tsp cornflour
• cinnamon spice
• ginger powder
• nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• fresh eggs, not cold
• tangy cream
• vanilla

Pecan Garnish

• pure maple syrup
• fine sugar
• nut pieces, roughly chopped
• a pinch of salt
• heavy cream

Preheat your oven to 365F coat the bottom and edges using a cake tin. Pulse the cookies into crumbs, place in a mixing bowl. Incorporate the melted butter and salt, and mix until moistened. Transfer to the buttered container, compact it well, bake for 10 minutes, take out and cool.

Turn down the heat to 175C (155C fan). In the meantime, place the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest into a mixer bowl, whip using the paddle on medium-low to a creamy texture. Incorporate the puree, thickener, and seasonings, then mix at low speed until combined. Add the eggs individually, incorporating fully one by one, follow with the tangy cream and flavoring, and beat until combined.

Transfer the pumpkin filling on to the set base even the surface with a small spatula. Tap the tin gently on a surface to release trapped air, then cook the cheesecake in the middle of the oven until set with set edges with a jiggly middle. Turn off the oven, keep the oven slightly open and leave the cheesecake to cool for one hour. Once it’s at room temperature, refrigerate for 6+ hours (or longer), until firm.

In the meantime, make the pecan brittle (in advance). Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan) and line a small oven tray with parchment. Combine the syrup and sweetener in a pot and stir gently gently briefly. Add in the nuts and salt, then remove from the heat transfer to the sheet. Cook for 8 minutes, until crisp, then remove and leave to cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, cut roughly keeping in a sealed jar frozen.

Open the dessert from its tin and transfer to a platter. Whisk the cream to a light consistency, then add over the center with a clear edge. Sprinkle the brittle over the top, with additional brittle for serving.