Spiced Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake
Part 1: Pecan Cocoa Crumble
Ingredients
Method- 100g Confectioner’s Sugar
- 100g Roasted Pecan Flour
- 75g Almond Flour
- 40g deZaan True Gold cocoa powder
- 1g Cinnamon (powdered)
- 1g Ginger (powdered)
- 2g Fleur de sel
- 100g Butter
- In a mixing bowl,add all dry ingredients and until combined.
- Once dry ingredients have been combined, add butter. Mix until a crumbly dough is formed. Note: At this point, the crust can be used as a crumble or follow through the steps for a crust disc.
- Once dough has been formed, transfer dough directly to a sheeter and sheet to 3cm.
- Let it rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes.
- Cut to desired size (for cake = 10cm; for verrine = 3cm circles).
- Transfer to sheet tray lined with a silpat (baking paper will work as well).
- Bake at 160ºC for about 7 minutes and check for readiness (dough needs to be firm to touch).
- Once baked, remove from oven, and leave to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Reserve on the side until ready to use.
Part 2: Pecan & Pumpkin Seed Praline
Ingredients
Method- 200g Toasted Pecans
- 100g Pumpkin Seeds (toasted)
- 100g Granulated Sugar
- 2g Fleur de sel
- On a sheet tray lined with a silpat, layout pecans and pumpkin seeds. Leave until ready to use.
- In a pan, bring sugar and salt to a dark golden caramel.
- Pour over pecans and pumpkin seeds mixture and allow to cool down completely.
- Once cooled, add everything to a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a piping bag and reserve until ready to use.
Part 3: Caramelized Pecans
Ingredients
Method- 200g Toasted Pecans (kept warm)
- 100g Granulated Sugar
- 20ml Water
- In a medium pan, cook sugar and water to 118ºC.
- Once the temperature is reached, add toasted pecans.
- Stir continuously. Note: Sugar will become sandy like in texture.
- Keep stirring until all pecans have been coated evenly with a nice golden caramel color.
- Transfer to a flat surface lined with a silpat.
- Gently spread the pecans as much as possible and allow to completely cool down.
- Break (if needed) and store in an air-tight container until ready to use.
Part 4: Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cremeux
Ingredients
Method- 318g Cream (35%)
- 1g Cinnamon (powdered)
- 1g Ginger (powdered)
- 0.5g Nutmeg
- 116g Granulated Sugar
- 93g Egg Yolks
- 310g Cream Cheese
- 155g Mascarpone
- 30g Fish Gelatine (powdered)
- 65g Pumpkin Puree
- In a bowl, add egg yolks and sugar. Blend to a smooth paste and set aside.
- In a heat proof bowl, add cream cheese, mascarpone, and pumpkin puree and set aside.
- Bring the cream and spices to a boil.
- Temper gradually over egg yolk mixture.
- Blend and return to heat. Cook to Nappée (approx. 82ºC/ 179ºF).
- Pour over gelatine and blend with immersion blender. Cool to 50ºC/122ºF and pour over cream cheese mixture. Mix with immersion blender.
- Set aside to cool further until ready to mold.
Part 5: Pumpkin Whipped Ganache
Ingredients
Method- 404ml Cream (35%) - quantity 1
- 504ml Cream (35%) - quantity 2
- 50g Pumpkin Puree
- 75g Milk Powder (full fat)
- 56g Cocoa Butter
- 100g Granulated Sugar
- 30g Fish Gelatin (6g - Pork Gelatin)
- In a bowl, add cocoa butter, pumpkin puree and milk powder. Set aside until ready to use.
- In a saucepan, add 1st quantity of cream, sugar, and basil. Bring to a simmer. Take off heat and cover. Allow to infuse for 5 minutes.
- Add back onto heat and bring to a soft boil.
- Pour over cocoa butter & milk powder in 2-3 stages.
- Once the 1st cream has been incorporated, add gelatin while mixture is still quite warm. Blend until thoroughly combined.
- Add 2nd quantity of cream to the mixture and blend until well combined. Strain mixture and transfer to an air-tight container covering the top of the ganache with plastic film wrap to prevent the formation of skin.
- Set in refrigerator for 24hrs for best results.
- When the ganache is ready to use, add desired quantity to a cold mixing bowl and whisk until medium/hard peaks are formed.
- Use immediately after whipping.
Part 6: Chantilly
Ingredients
Method- 200g Cream (35%)
- 25g Confectionery Sugar
- In a cold mixing bowl, add the cream and sugar.
- Whisk until medium peaks are formed.
- Transfer to piping bag and use immediately.
Part 7: Assembly
Method- Once all components have been made, prepare 10cm ring molds (width = 6cm).
- Place ring over previously cut Cocoa Crumble.
- Pipe in a layer of Pumpkin Puree. Allow to set in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Pour the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cremeux into molds. Allow to set firm in freezer for a minimum of 3 hours.
- Once firm, demold cheesecake and transfer to a sheet tray. Reserve in refrigerator until ready to decorate.
- Whip ganache to firm peaks and transfer to piping bag.
- Whip Chantilly and transfer to piping bag.
- Using the piping bag, decorate ganache and chantilly (alternating between both) towards to edge of the cake.
- Pipe a generous amount of Praline in the center of the cake and finish with candied Pecan pieces.
- If storing in the refrigerator, store cheesecake without candied pecans to avoid bleeding of caramel sugar.
