In place of puff pastry, I like to use phyllo (or filo, pronounced FEE-low), a light, paper-thin pastry dough. The Athens Fillo Dough brand produces the best quality turnover. Phyllo has virtually no fat. It contains just a little vegetable shortening to bind the dough. When you substitute phyllo for puff pastry, it produces a lighter, flakier product. You can find this dough in long, narrow boxes in the freezer section of most large grocery and health-food stores. The whole-wheat variety may be a little difficult to get, but I have found it at both Safeway and Foodland supermarkets from time to time. You can make the recipe with regular phyllo, but you'll get less healthful fiber and nutrients.

Phyllo means leaf in Greek, indicating it's as thin and delicate as a leaf. This dough, now made by rolling machines but once hand-rolled so thin that a ball of dough the size of a fist could be made to cover a card table, is used throughout the Mediterranean world. In eastern Europe, phyllo has been used for fruit strudels for centuries. Today it is used in fine restaurants and homes worldwide to produce a variety of appetizers, entrees and desserts.

Instead of using apple-pie filling loaded with sugar and thickeners, I use the 100 percent real fruit apricot jam or preserves. There seems to be some confusion about jellies, jams and preserves. Preserves are made with large pieces of fruit, sometimes even whole fruit; jams are made with thick purees of whole fruit; jellies are made with juice or syrup filtered from cooked fruit. I prefer the Smucker's brand because of its full flavor.

I use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray because it contains zero animal fat. It has some fat derived from soybean oil and other sources. Spray this between the layers of the phyllo and you will end up with a flaky pastry. It is an easy dessert to make, but make sure you serve them warm. You can reheat them in an oven or toaster oven. Your family will be shouting "bring them to moi!," like the guy in the ads.

Crispy Apricot Turnovers

• 3/4 cup 100 percent real fruit apricot jam or preserves
• 6 (1.25-ounce) sheets whole-wheat phyllo
• Butter-flavored cooking oil spray

Thaw phyllo and peel off desired number of sheets (with perhaps one extra in case of tears). Place the sheets between two damp towels to prevent drying out.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Lay one phyllo sheet down at a time on the work surface, with narrow ends toward you. Spray with butter-flavor cooking spray. Fold sheet in thirds lengthwise. Spray again. Spoon 2 tablespoons of real fruit jam about 1ý inches from the bottom edge of the sheet. Fold the lower left-hand corner of phyllo diagonally to right side of dough, covering the filling. Continue folding in flag-style until the end of the sheet. Spray both sides of the turnover and lay on baking sheet. Repeat the process with remaining phyllo sheets and real fruit jam or preserver. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 6.

• Per serving: 250 calories, 7 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 190 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrates, less than 1 g fiber, 42 g sugar, 3 g protein

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