Pumpkin and maple cheesecake with pumpkin seed brittle

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and grease and line a 23cm springform cake tin

Make sure all the filling ingredients are at room temperature before you begin. Start making the filling by steaming the pumpkin for 10–15 minutes until tender, then blend to a smooth purée. Leave to cool

To make the base, blitz the biscuits in a food processor, or place them in a sandwich bag and bash them with a rolling pin to a fine rubble. Tip into a bowl and mix in the melted butter

Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack

Turn the oven up to 220°C/gas mark 7

Beat the cheese until creamy, then slowly add the maple syrup, sugar, cornflour, salt and pumpkin purée. Whisk in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, then the sour cream

Pour over the biscuit base and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 110°C and bake for a further 1½ hours. If you gently shake the tin, there should be a slight wobble in the middle. Leave the cheesecake to cool in the turned-off oven for 2 hours with the oven door slightly ajar. Cover loosely with foil (without touching the top) and pop it in the fridge to set for 8 hours or overnight

To make the pumpkin seed brittle, preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes until lightly browned

Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Dissolve the sugar and salt in 125ml of water in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring, and using a pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals stuck to the inside of the pan

Stop stirring and turn up the heat, shake the pan occasionally and watch carefully until the caramel is the colour of maple syrup. Remove from the heat and stir in the pumpkin seeds. Then spread over the baking sheet using and oiled palette knife. Leave to cool, then smash into shards

Once the cake has set, remove the foil and place the tin on top of an upturned bowl. Gently pull the sides down to release it, before prising off the pan base with a palette knife, while sliding it onto a serving plate. Scatter with the pumpkin seed brittle just before serving