Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease six 8-oz ramekins or baking dishes with cooking spray or butter, and arrange them on a baking sheet.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or using a regular bowl and hand beaters) beat together the pumpkin, sugar, salt, grated ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat on medium-high until well blended. Slowly pour in the half-and-half while beating. Stir well with a rubber spatula to incorporate any bits on the bottom of the bowl (the mixture will be quite loose). Pour or ladle the custard into the prepared ramekins.
Bake until the custard is set but still slightly wobbly in the center, about 36-38 minutes. Let the custards cool before serving.
Serve the custards slightly warm, at room temperature or cold with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream and a sprinkle of candied maple pecans.