Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Bring a kettle or large pot of water to a boil; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, whisk heavy cream, milk, and pumpkin purée to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from scalding, until mixture begins to steam, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a pinch of black pepper to combine. Add yolks, and whisk until smooth. (Avoid combining yolks with sugar mixture until you are ready to add the dairy; if left to stand for too long, the sugar will absorb moisture from the yolks, leaving behind hard, clumpy bits.)

Slowly pour hot cream mixture into yolk mixture, and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Set six 6-ounce ramekins in a large roasting pan. Divide custard base evenly among ramekins, filling them 1/4-inch from top of rim. Pour reserved hot water (around 180 to 200°F/88 to 93°C) into roasting pan until it comes 2/3 of the way up the ramekins; be careful not to splash water into the ramekins as you pour.

Carefully transfer roasting pan to oven and bake until custards are just set with a slight wobble and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 173 to 175°F (78 to 80°C), 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove roasting pan from oven and, using kitchen towels, oven mitts, or silicone-coated tongs, carefully transfer ramekins to a wire rack. Allow custards to cool slightly—warm but no longer hot—about 30 minutes. Refrigerate until set, uncovered, at least 4 hours and up to 3 days.

Right before serving, top surface of each custard with an even layer of sugar (about 2 teaspoons per ramekin). Working in a circular motion, use a kitchen torch to pass a flame over the top of each custard, until sugar has caramelized and melted into a glossy, crackling sheet and turned golden brown. (How closely and how long you should torch your custards will depend on the strength of your blowtorch; watch the sugar carefully as you pass the torch over the surface of the custard to avoid scorching your custard.) For broiler method, see notes.

Serve immediately.