Pear Galette with Brandied Cranberries and Raisins

With its mix of fresh pears and dried fruit, this easy dessert is a beautiful ending to an eclectic Thanksgiving meal.

Yield:

10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge and 2 tablespoons whipped topping)

Ingredients

1. 5 cups peeled Bartlett pears, cored and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 2 pounds)
2. 1 cup brandy
3. 6 tablespoons golden raisins
4. 6 tablespoons dried cranberries
5. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6. 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
7. 1/8 teaspoon salt
8. 1/3 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
9. 5 tablespoons ice water
10. Cooking spray
11. 3 tablespoons brown sugar
12. 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
13. 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
14. 1 1/4 cups frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed

Directions

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain.
2. Preheat oven to 425°.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until combined. Add chilled butter; pulse 4 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, add ice water through food chute, processing just until combined (do not form a ball). Gently press dough into a 4-inch circle on plastic wrap; cover. Chill for 15 minutes.
4. Slightly overlap 2 lengths of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface. Unwrap chilled dough, and place on plastic wrap. Cover the dough with 2 additional lengths of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into a 14-inch circle. Place dough in freezer 10 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed. Remove the top sheets of plastic wrap; fit dough, plastic wrap side up, into a 10-inch round removable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray. Press dough against bottom and sides of pan, allowing dough to extend over edges of pan; remove remaining sheets of plastic wrap.
5. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cornstarch; stir with a whisk. Sprinkle 1/3 cup cornstarch mixture into pastry shell; cover with half of fruit mixture. Repeat layers with the remaining cornstarch mixture and fruit mixture. Fold edges of dough over fruit mixture (dough will only partially cover fruit). Sprinkle 2 tablespoons granulated sugar over fruit mixture; bake at 425° for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove galette from oven), and bake for an additional 45 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, and sift the powdered sugar over the top of the galette. Serve the galette warm or at room temperature with whipped topping.

Notes