Savor a Smooth Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Maple Pecan Brittle
Velvety, aromatic and just sweet enough, this pumpkin cheesecake is a celebration of harvest warmth. I skip prepared pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I prefer baking your own pumpkin. The oven’s heat brings out the inherent sugars removing excess moisture, resulting in a smooth, flavourful puree that gives the cheesecake authentic character. A crunchy pecan topping provides the final flourish: toasty, flavorful and offering a satisfying crisp complementing the velvety texture.
Pumpkin Cheesecake and Crunchy Pecan Topping
For the pumpkin base, dice fresh pumpkin pieces in sections, bake, with a cover, in a hot oven until soft but not browned. Blend in a high-speed blender.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 1 hour
Chill overnight
Serves 8 to 10
Base Ingredients
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
- 70g unsalted butter, liquefied, and some for coating
- sea salt
Cheesecake Mixture
- soft cheese
- fine sugar
- citrus peel
- homemade puree (prepared earlier)
- thickener
- cinnamon spice
- warm ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- hint of cloves
- fresh eggs, warmed slightly
- 100ml soured cream
- pure vanilla
Pecan Garnish
- pure maple syrup
- fine sugar
- 90g pecans, coarsely cut
- sea salt flakes
- heavy cream
Preheat your oven at a moderate heat coat the entire interior with a springform pan. Pulse the cookies to fine crumbs, place in a container. Mix in the butter and salt, combine so the crumbs are evenly damp. Place in the prepared pan, compact it well, heat until set, set aside to cool.
Lower the heat to a lower temp. At the same time, put the base ingredients into a mixer bowl, then beat with the paddle attachment on medium-low until well blended. Incorporate the pumpkin puree, cornflour and spices, blend at low speed well mixed. Introduce the eggs one at a time, incorporating fully one by one, then add the cream and extract, mix until smooth.
Pour the pumpkin filling onto the cooled biscuit base even the surface using a spatula. Give it a gentle shake on a worktop to dispel any air bubbles, then bake the cheesecake on the middle rack for about three-quarters of an hour until the sides are firm with a jiggly middle. Turn off the oven, crack the door open and leave the cheesecake to cool for one hour. Once it’s at room temperature, refrigerate for 6+ hours (or for days), until fully chilled.
While waiting, create the topping (ahead of time). Heat the oven to 410F and line a small oven tray with baking paper. Combine the syrup and sweetener in a pot mixing over a low heat briefly. Add in the pecans and sea salt, stop heating and spread on the tray. Cook for 8 minutes, until caramelized, take out and cool. When fully hardened, chop into irregular pieces place in an airtight container chilled.
Open the cheesecake from the pan move to a plate. Whip the cream to a light consistency, then spoon into the middle of the cheesecake with a clear edge. Scatter most of the pecan brittle across the surface, with additional brittle for serving.
