Indulge in a Silky Autumn Cheesecake featuring Maple Pecan Brittle

Smooth, spiced and not overly sugary, this pumpkin cheesecake captures fall coziness. I skip canned puree – the taste is bland and thin – so I recommend of roasting some butternut or Kent squash. Roasting enhances the inherent sugars removing excess moisture, producing a deep, aromatic mash imparting genuine complexity. A crunchy pecan topping adds the perfect finish: golden, nutty and with just the right amount of crunch against the velvety texture.

Autumn Cheesecake and Maple Pecan Brittle

Prepare about one cup of puree, chop a medium squash, peeled and seeded into chunks, cook, loosely covered, at 390F until soft but not browned. Puree using a powerful blender.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 1 hour
Chill overnight
Serves 8-10

For the Base

• gingersnap cookies
• melted butter, melted, with more for the tin
• sea salt

For the Filling

• soft cheese
• fine sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• squash mash (as described above)
• cornstarch
• cinnamon spice
• ginger powder
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• clove spice
• fresh eggs, warmed slightly
• sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Crunchy Finish

• pure maple syrup
• sugar
• 90g pecans, in chunks
• a pinch of salt
• whipping cream

Preheat your oven to 365F then butter the bottom and edges of a 20cm round springform tin. Pulse the biscuits into crumbs, then tip into a medium bowl. Mix in the salty butter, combine so the crumbs are evenly damp. Place in the prepared pan, press down firmly, heat until set, set aside to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 175C (155C fan). At the same time, put the cheese, sweetener, and zest into a mixer bowl, whip using the paddle at a gentle pace until well blended. Incorporate the puree, thickener, and seasonings, blend gently until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition, next include the cream and extract, and beat until smooth.

Transfer the spiced cream over the set base and smooth the top using a spatula. Tap the tin gently on the counter to remove bubbles, then cook the cheesecake on the middle rack for about three-quarters of an hour until the sides are firm and a soft center. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar allowing it to cool for an hour. When cooled, cool in the fridge (or longer), until firm.

While waiting, make the pecan brittle (ahead of time). Heat the oven to a high temperature cover a tray with parchment. Stir together the maple syrup and sugar in a pot and stir gently gently briefly. Stir in the chopped pecans, take off the stove and spread on the tray. Cook for 8 minutes, until caramelized, then remove and leave to cool. When fully hardened, cut roughly keeping in a container frozen.

Open the dessert from its tin and transfer to a platter. Whip the cream until fluffy, then spoon over the center leaving a 3-4cm border. Scatter most of the pecan brittle across the surface, with additional brittle for serving.