Vanilla pumpkin creme brulee

The night before, halve a sugar pumpkin through the equator, scoop out the stringy seeds and roast the halves plain, cut side up, on a sheet tray at 350 until the flesh is tender, so the cut surfaces dry and the pulp concentrates. Scoop out three quarters of a cup.

Split the vanilla bean by running the tip of a paring knife down one side, open it like a book, and scrape the seeds out with the back of the knife in two passes. Add the seeds to the pumpkin; keep the pod.

Preheat the oven to 325.

In a small saucepan on medium to medium-high, boil a quarter cup of maple syrup about a minute until the big rapid bubbles turn slow and glassy.

Add the pumpkin and vanilla seeds, stir to coat and cook until most of the water is driven off and the pumpkin starts to color.

Stir in the room temperature heavy cream first (milk poured into a hot pot can split), then the milk. Add the scraped pod and bring to a very gentle simmer.

Whisk the six yolks with the demerara sugar until pale, lighter and a little voluminous.

Turn off the heat and slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Scrape in the bean and any pumpkin bits.

Whisk in a generous pinch of nutmeg, a generous pinch of Chinese five spice, a teaspoon of cinnamon, kosher salt and about a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Remove the vanilla pod and puree the custard with an immersion blender, fully immersed before switching on.

Ladle the custard through a strainer into same-size ramekins. Skim off any large bubbles with a spoon.

Set the ramekins in a baking dish with a little room for water to flow, and carefully pour in barely simmering water a third to halfway up the sides.

Bake uncovered on the center rack at the 325 baking temp (stated at 21:24), checking after about 20 minutes (these went 'maybe 25 minutes'), until the center wobbles as one piece rather than ripples.

Rest a minute in the water bath, lift out with an offset spatula without passing over the others, and cool at room temperature.

Refrigerate until cold and fully set, two hours here.

Sprinkle an even layer of sugar over the surface and caramelize with the torch, keeping it moving; let it cool a moment, then add and caramelize a second layer.