Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake with Pumpkin Seed Brittle and Cinnamon Nutmeg Cream

Ingredients
2/3 cup walnuts chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
16 ounces Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 pinch sea salt
2 ounces hulled pumpkin seeds, untoasted
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

For the crust:

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Place walnuts, sugar, flour, and salt in food processor; process to powder until nuts are completely broken up.
• Add butter and process just until dough holds together.
• Press dough into a 9-inch springform pan with removable base, coming up 1” along the sides.
• Prick dough all over with fork.
• Place sheet of parchment on crust; weigh it down with pie weights or dried beans, and bake in lower third of oven 15 minutes.
• Remove parchment and pie weights; continue baking crust until deep golden, about 10 to 12 minutes longer.
• Cool completely before filling.

For the cheesecake:

• Turn oven down to 350F.
• In a large mixer, beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
• Mix in vanilla extract.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Take out 1 ½ cups of cheesecake batter and place in a small bowl. Mix in espresso powder and stir until dissolved and uniform in colour. Set aside.
• Beat pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger into remaining cheesecake batter until smooth.
• Pour mixture on top of baked cooled crust. Carefully pour espresso cheesecake batter on top of the pumpkin cheesecake batter.
• Bake for 50-55 minutes or until filling is set.
• Cheesecake is ready to come out of the oven when the center still wobbles very slightly.
• Run a knife along the edge of the cake pan, to prevent the cake from cracking when cooling.
• Allow to cool completely to room temperature in pan before chilling in refrigerator until ready to serve.

For the pumpkin seed brittle:

• Put a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
• Bring sugar, water, and salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Cook mixture, without stirring, washing down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup registers 238°F on thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in seeds with a wooden spoon.
• Return pan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts completely (sugar will continue to dry and become grainy before melting) and turns a deep caramel color, 4 to 5 minutes more (seeds will be toasted).
• Carefully pour hot caramel mixture onto parchment.
• Cool brittle completely, and break into pieces.

For cinnamon nutmeg cream:

• Combine cream, sugar, vanilla, and spices in a bowl.
• Whisk until medium peaks form.

Serve each slice of cheesecake with a dollop of cream and a few pieces of brittle. Enjoy!