Pumpkin Creme Brulee Cakes

Ingredients:

Creme brulee

• 3.5 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 0.5 tsp ginger powder
• 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
• 8 egg yolks
• 1 cup of sugar
• 0.5 cups whole milk
• 2 tbsp. pumpkin puree
• 0.25 tbsp. sugar turbinado
• Cake base, recipe below
• Hot water
• You will need: 10 ramekins

Pecan Tartlets

• 32 cookies
• 0.5 cup pecans
• 5 tbsp melted butter, plus more if needed
• 2-3 tbsp. l. brown sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C.
   
   Make the doughFinely chop the crackers and nuts in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the melted butter and brown sugar and pulse until combined. Spread the mixture over the bottom and sides of ten 180ml (6 fl oz) muffin tins. Place the muffin tins in a baking dish and bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
2. Make pumpkin custardCombine 2 cups of heavy cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat. Split the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds with a knife, and add them to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
   
   Whisk the egg yolks with granulated sugar in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add the remaining 1.5 cups of cream and milk to the saucepan. Slowly whisk in the yolk mixture, then strain the cream through a sieve back into the bowl. Add the pumpkin puree and stir.
3. Divide the pumpkin mixture among the molds. Fill the baking dish with water to about halfway up the center. Bake until the custard has just begun to set but is still slightly runny in the center, 55-60 minutes. Remove from the oven. Remove the molds from the water and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
4. Lightly sprinkle the filling with turbinado sugar. Heat the sugar with a blowtorch until it caramelizes. For a thicker caramel crust, repeat the process several times, adding a little sugar each time. Let cool.
   
   Pecan TartletsFinely chop the cookies and nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, using the pulse mode, 6-10 times for 3 seconds. Add the melted butter and brown sugar and pulse until combined. Press the dough into the bottom of a springform pan if making a tart, or into 170-220 ml (6-8 oz) ramekins.
   
   Note
   
   If you have any left creme brulee, Pour it into the pan and place it in another pan filled with water, about halfway up the pan with the custard. Bake until the custard is set but still slightly runny in the center, about 35-45 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours. See the recipe for how to make the caramel crust after the custard has cooled completely..