Apples Baked in Phyllo with Pear-and-Pecan Filling

Phyllo is a light, crisp stand-in for dumpling dough.

1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped peeled Bartlett or Anjou pear
3 tablespoons chopped pecans
2 tablespoons bourbon or water
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled
4 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
Mint sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°.
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper; secure to baking sheet with masking tape.
Melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pear and pecans; sauté 2 minutes. Add the bourbon, syrup, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Cool.
Cut about 1/2 inch from the tops and bottoms of apples, and discard. Core apples three-fourths of the way through from the top using a melon baller. (Do not cut through the bottom.) Fill each apple with 1 tablespoon pear mixture. Set aside the remaining pear mixture.
Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board or work surface (cover remaining dough to keep from drying); lightly coat with cooking spray. Place 1 apple in center of phyllo; overlap diagonal corners on top of the apple. Place on prepared pan, and coat phyllo with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining apples and phyllo.
Combine 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl, and sprinkle over apples. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until the apples are golden brown. Spoon 1/4 cup remaining pear mixture around each apple; top each serving with 1/4 cup whipped topping. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.
Yield: 4 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 314(26% from fat); FAT 9g (sat 2.4g,mono 3.6g,poly 2.2g); PROTEIN 2.3g; CHOLESTEROL 8mg; CALCIUM 28mg; SODIUM 132mg; FIBER 4.9g; IRON 1.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 58.5g
Cooking Light, JULY 2001