Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Set water in tea kettle to boil on stove. Prepare your 9 x 13 inch pan by first laying a small tea towel on the bottom. This will keep the dishes from sliding. Set the ramekin or crème brûlée dishes inside, so they are not touching each other.
Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, over low heat, stir the maple syrup with the brown sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Add the heavy cream and stir, then increase the stove top temperature to medium high. Let the cream heat until just starting to bubble on the sides of the pan, but do not boil. Turn the heat off. Add in a steady but slow stream the cream mixture into the egg mixture bowl, whisking continually with your free hand. Strain mixture through a sieve back into your saucepan but do not return to heat.
Add in vanilla and brandy. Pour or ladle cream mixture about 3/4 full, into the dishes set in your baking tray. Pour boiling water from the kettle around the ramekins, filling the tray or roasting pan until the water is halfway up the crème brûlée dish or ramekin dish. Place gently in the center of the oven, so as not to spill the water into the dishes.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until just set (should have a tiny jiggle when the dish is moved). Ramekins will take longer than flatter crème brûlée dishes. When done, remove the baking pan from the oven, then the dishes from the tray to a cooling rack.
Cool on rack until just cool to touch. Cover with cellophane, or place in a large plastic container covered, for 2-3 hours minimum and up to 2 days.
Remove from the refrigerator a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle each evenly with granulated sugar (about one teaspoon for each) and with a kitchen torch, brown the sugar holding the torch about 1 - 2 inches from the top of custard. Torch until evenly browned and caramelized. Turn off torch as soon as caramelization is complete to not burn it or heat the custard. You want it to remain cold. Serve immediately.
