Pumpkin Pie Crème Brûlée Cups

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150 °C for 15 min. Lay a folded kitchen towel in a baking dish at least 5 cm deep and bring a kettle of water to the boil. The towel stops the cups sliding and softens the heat from below.

   oven

2. Warm the cream and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 3 min, until small bubbles appear around the edge and it steams, then turn off the heat. Don't let it boil.

   Add in this stepHeavy cream (at least 35% fat) 160 mlVanilla extract ¼ tsp

   medium-low heat

3. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, brown sugar, pumpkin purée, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt until smooth. Pour in the warm cream a ladleful at a time, whisking constantly (all at once and the yolks would scramble). Strain through a fine sieve into a jug, spoon off any foam and divide among 2 × 120 ml ramekins.

   Add in this stepEgg yolks 2Light brown sugar 30 gPumpkin purée (plain, unsweetened) 80 gGround cinnamon ¼ tspGround ginger 2 pinchGround nutmeg 1 pinchSalt 1 pinch

4. Set the ramekins in the prepared dish and pour in hot water to halfway up their sides. Bake in the oven at 150 °C for 32 min. Take them out when the edges are set and only a 2 cm circle in the centre wobbles like jelly. Overbaked custard turns bubbly and grainy.

   oven

5. Lift the ramekins carefully out of the water with tongs or a dry cloth and cool them on a rack. Cover and chill for at least 2 h.

6. Break the graham crackers into rough crumbs. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the crumbs and toast on medium heat for 3 min, until golden and fragrant. Spread on a plate to cool; they crisp as they cool.

   Add in this stepGraham crackers (or digestive biscuits) 20 gButter 10 g

   medium heat

7. Just before serving, blot any moisture off the custard with kitchen paper and sprinkle the brûlée sugar in a thin, even layer. Hold the torch about 5 cm away and move it in circles until the sugar melts to a deep amber. Leave it for a minute to harden, add a spoonful of graham crumble to one side and serve straight away.

   Add in this stepWhite sugar (for the brûlée top) 3 tsp