Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until well blended and lightened in color. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Set aside.

Add the heavy whipping cream and pumpkin pie spice to a medium-sized saucepan and place the saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the cream is warm and bubbling around the edges. Remove the cream from the heat.

Slowly pour ½ cup of the warm heavy whipping cream into the egg and sugar mixture, making sure to whisk well as you're pouring it in. Then, slowly pour in the remaining cream and continue whisking until fully combined. If there's a thin layer of foam on top of the mixture, you can skim it off with a spoon at this point.

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large measuring cup (this will make it easier to pour into your ramekins).

Evenly distribute the mixture between six 6-ounce ramekins, a little over ½ cup per ramekin.

Pour the boiling water into a 9x13 baking pan about ⅓ of the way full. Carefully place the ramekins in the baking dish. The water should come about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. If needed, carefully add a little more boiling water to the pan.

Remove from the oven and carefully remove the ramekins from the pan using tongs or pot holders and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Once chilled, blot the tops of each one with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Sprinkle 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons of sugar on top of each one and shake it around into one even layer. Use a small kitchen torch to carefully caramelize the sugar. Allow the sugar to harden for a few minutes, then serve and enjoy, or refrigerate for a few hours until ready to serve.