Savor this Silky Autumn Cheesecake featuring Maple Pecan Brittle
Smooth, aromatic and perfectly sweetened, this delightful dessert embodies fall coziness. I skip tinned pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I recommend to roast fresh squash varieties. The oven’s heat enhances its natural sweetness while evaporating extra liquid, yielding a deep, aromatic mash which adds genuine complexity. Golden nut brittle adds the perfect finish: caramelized, rich and providing a textural contrast to offset the smooth filling.
Autumn Cheesecake with Crunchy Pecan Topping
For the pumpkin base, chop fresh pumpkin pieces in sections, then roast, with a cover, in a hot oven cooked through but not colored. Blend in a high-speed blender.
Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 1 hour
Chill overnight
Serves 8 to 10
For the Base
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
- rich butter, melted, with more for the tin
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Creamy Layer
- 500g cream cheese
- white sugar
- orange zest
- squash mash (as described above)
- 2 tsp cornflour
- cinnamon spice
- warm ginger
- freshly grated nutmeg
- clove spice
- fresh eggs, not cold
- tangy cream
- vanilla
Pecan Garnish
- maple sweetener
- fine sugar
- chopped pecans, in chunks
- sea salt flakes
- 150ml double cream
Heat the oven to 365F and lightly grease the entire interior of a 20cm round springform tin. Using a processor the ginger nuts to fine crumbs, transfer to a mixing bowl. Incorporate the salty butter, stir so the crumbs are evenly damp. Place in the buttered container, even it out, heat until set, set aside to cool.
Turn down the heat to 355F. At the same time, put the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest in a stand mixer, then beat on low speed on medium-low until well blended. Incorporate the puree, thickener, and seasonings, and beat gently until incorporated. Mix in eggs one at a time, incorporating fully between each addition, next include the cream and extract, and beat until combined.
Scoop the pumpkin filling on to the prepared crust level it out with a small spatula. Lightly tap the pan on a worktop to release trapped air, then bake the cheesecake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes until the sides are firm and the centre is slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven, keep the oven slightly open and let it cool down for 60 minutes. Once it’s at room temperature, cool in the fridge (and up to three days), until completely set.
While waiting, make the pecan brittle (ahead of time). Heat the oven to 410F cover a tray with baking paper. Stir together the maple syrup and sugar in a small saucepan and heat slowly over a low heat briefly. Add in the pecans and sea salt, stop heating and spread on the tray. Cook for 8 minutes, until crisp, set aside. When fully hardened, chop into irregular pieces and store in a container frozen.
Remove the dessert from the springform place on a serving dish. Whisk the cream until fluffy, then add over the center leaving space around. Scatter most of the pecan brittle over the top, offering more on the side.
