Place all the ingredients except for the pears into a pot and bring to a boil.

Peel pears, but do not remove stems.

Place pears in boiling liquid and reduce heat to medium-low after five minutes. Let cook for 20 minutes more. Turn off heat. Leave the pears in the pot while cooling (they are delicate and can break if transferred before they have cooled). Refrigerate once cooled, ideally for at least 12 hours.

Before serving, slice a small piece off the bottom of each pear to create a flat surface so that the pear can stand. Serve with custard (recipe follows) and just a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

In a saucepan, bring milk (or soy milk or coffee whitener) to a boil until it bubbles. Meanwhile, combine yolks and sugar in a bowl.

Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in sugar and yolks, stirring constantly.

Replace onto heat and stir constantly for 15 minutes or until mixture thickens.

Strain the mixture through a mesh sieve, using the back of a spoon to push the custard through the holes. Let cool.

Add vanilla extract, combine and chill 24 hours.