Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a medium saucepan, heat cream, vanilla, pumpkin and pie spices to scalding or just simmering. Set aside.
With a mixer, beat egg yolks with sugar until it becomes light yellow in color and sugar is dissolved. To temper custard, take 1 cup of hot pumpkin mixture and slowly pour it into the eggs, whisking constantly. Then, gradually add egg and cream mixture back into the pan, whisking constantly. This helps slowly raise the temperature of the eggs without causing them to curdle.
Fill 6-ounce ramekins or ovenproof bowls 3/4 full with custard mixture. Place in large cake pan, filled half-way with hot water. Bake in preheated oven 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Remove from water pan immediately. Serve warm or place in refrigerator and chill thoroughly.
When ready to serve, preheat your oven broiler to 500 degrees. Create the sugar crust by dusting each with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sugar, then place oven-proof ramekins on a metal sheet pan on the highest oven rack under the broiler. The sugar will begin to melt, then turn brown. Remove the sheet pan before the sugar gets to medium-dark brown. (The sugar can burn very quickly and every broiler is different, so watch them very closely!) Allow sugar to cool into a hard sugary crust. Makes about 6 servings. Enjoy!