Defrost the 14 ounce package puff pastry per instructions on the box and preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Trim the bottom of each of the 6 pears so that they sit flat, then core them, removing all seeds. Peel the pears and if they are oxidizing quickly, store them in water with some lemon juice as you finish the remaining pears.

Pears don’t ripen on the tree. They must be picked to ripen and will only ripen at room temperature. They should ripen in a few days but can be ripened faster if stored in a bag with a banana or apple, as those fruits put off ethylene gas. The pears absorb it and start producing their own. To test if a pear is ripe, gently press on the neck with your thumb. If it yields, it is ripe.

Lay the pastry out on a floured surface. Using a pizza cutter, cut the pastry into strips that are about ⅓ of an inch wide.

Starting at the bottom, wrap each pear with strips of puff pastry until fully covered.

Place the wrapped pears on a parchment-lined baking sheet with about 2 inches of space between each pear.

Bake pears for 45 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and puffed out. You may want to wrap the tops with some foil to prevent the tops from burning and for an even bake.

You can make the caramel while the pears are baking.

Add ½ cup half and half to a small pot and warm over a medium-low heat. Careful not to burn. Add 1 tablespoon ground coffee and cook for 1 minute, until the cream becomes light brown.

Strain out ground coffee, returning the cream to the pot.

Add in 4 tablespoons butter and 1 cup brown sugar, and incorporate. Cook on a low simmer for 5 minutes. Whisking gently.

Brown sugar never spoils. Store it in an airtight container in a cool dark place. If it bricks, microwave it in a microwave safe dish with a damp paper towel on 10-second intervals until desired consistency.

Remove from heat and add in 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt, gently stir to combine.

Vanilla extract lasts indefinitely unlike the imitation stuff. Store it in a cool dark place.

Plate the coffee caramel and place a baked pear on top. Drizzle more caramel around the base.