• Preheat oven to 170 °C (325 °F).
  Scoop out seeds from the mini pumpkins (taking care not to pierce them) and place pumpkins in a deep baking dish. Set aside.
• In a pot, heat cream with the vanilla bean for 5 minutes, just enough to infuse the vanilla without boiling. Cut vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Mix.
• In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar for 2–3 minutes (or until they begin to whiten). Add pumpkin purée and mix.
• Pour hot cream mixture over eggs. Mix well.
• Pour mixture into pumpkins.
• Cook for 50– 55 minutes in a bain-marie.
• Let cool and refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
• Sprinkle sugar over cream in each pumpkin. Caramelize with a torch.
  Crack it open, dig in and enjoy—the secret to happiness is yours!

Chef’s secret

• Using a bain-marie (cooking in a deep dish filled with boiling water) is crucial to obtain a crème brûlée with that signature smooth and creamy texture.