This looks like an excellent idea for a fancy smancy holiday dessert!  I’ve never made a Creme Brulee, but I got this in my inbox the other day, and it looked pretty tasty, and not TOO complex…

Ingredients:

·         1 Spice Islands Vanilla Bean
·         1-3/4 cups heavy cream
·         1 cup canned pumpkin
·         1/2 cup pure maple syrup
·         10 egg yolks
·         2 teaspoons Spice Islands Pumpkin Pie Spice
·         1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
·         1 tablespoon finely chopped Spice Islands Ginger, Crystallized
·         1/4 cup brown sugar
·         1 teaspoon finely chopped Spice Islands Ginger, Crystallized
·         1 tablespoon finely chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape vanilla bean.  Place in heavy saucepan. Add cream, pumpkin and syrup and whisk together; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk egg yolks and pumpkin pie spice in a separate bowl.

Add the hot pumpkin mixture slowly to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Add 1/4 cup pecans and 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger. Pour mixture into eight 6-ounce ramekins. Place ramekins in a hot water bath.

Bake about 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center of custard comes out clean. Transfer ramekins to a rack to cool completely. Chill, covered, until cold (at least 2 hours).

Combine sugar, 1 teaspoon ginger and 1 tablespoon pecans. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons evenly over each ramekin. Broil until topping is caramelized. Serve.