Pineapple is way to high in carbs to use much in desserts on a low-carb eating plan. However, if mixed with something a little lower in carbs, like winter squash, you can end up with a dessert a low-carber can enjoy once in awhile. The crust here is Jennifer Eloff’s Miracle Dough, slightly modified with the addition of a bit of sweetener for this dessert application and a little oat fiber as well. I made the dough recipe into 5 7″ empanadas or hand pies, so the carb count, although still lower than a conventionally made hand pie, is still too high unless you are near or at the final Maintenance phase of the program. A possible solution, would be to make smaller pies, 10 little empanadas, to halve the carb count. These came out delicious and are easily held in the hand.
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CRUST INGREDIENTS:
1 large egg, beaten
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 T. unsalted butter
1 T. Splenda® or equivalent sweetener of choice
1 c. Jennifer Eloff’s Splendid Gluten-Free Bake Mix (or other low-carb bake mix)
1 T. oat fiber
FILLING INGREDIENTS:
Half a 2# butternut squash, cooked (1 c. mashed squash)
1 c. pineapple chunks (water pack), drained and coarsely chopped
Liquid sweetener to equal 5 T. sugar (no carbs in the liquid variety)
2 T. more butter
Few drops vanilla (optional)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
DIRECTIONS: Make the filling first. Slice butternut squash in half lengthwise. Microwave on HI for 12 minutes, cut-side down, in a dish of shallow water. Scoop out seeds and mash flesh. Place 1 cup squash pulp in a bowl. Add chopped pineapple, liquid sweetener, cinnamon and vanilla (if using). Taste and adjust for sweetness preference. These are Mexican style empanadas and therefore not be as sweet as you may be used to.
Make dough next. Melt cheese along with butter in a medium glass bowl on medium setting of your microwave. Takes 3-4 minutes, stir and check couple times as it heats. You don’t want to over cook, but merely melt it. Remove bowl carefully as it will be very hot. Sprinkle bake mix over the cheese. Sprinkle Splenda® and oat fiber on top next. Add beaten egg last. Now, using a fork, work dough into a smooth clump of dough until ingredients appear to be uniformly blended. Switching to a rubber spatula as it begins to bind together works nicely. When it forms a contiguous ball of dough, turn out onto plastic wrap on your counter. Top with second sheet of plastic and roll out with rolling pin to about 3/16″ thick or typical piecrust thickness. Preheat your oven to 350º.
Construction: If making 5 larger hand pies, I used a 7″ mini pizza pan to cut out my circles of dough. A small saucer would also work. If making 10 small pies, I would suggest using a 4″ ramekin, large drinking glass or large cookie cutter to form your circles of dough. Lay one circle of dough onto the corner of your baking sheet lined with silicone sheet or parchment paper. Fill circle with 1/5 of the filling (or 1/10 for the littler pies), placing the filling only on half the circle of dough. Don’t get filling too close to the edges or it will ooze out during baking. Dot filling with 1 tsp. butter. Fold other half of dough over filling and crimp edges decoratively with a fork. Repeat for remaining pies. Pop into 350º oven and bake for 20 minutes (smaller ones may take less time). Watch these, as the dough with all that cheese, over browns quickly if you get distracted at the “almost done” designated time. Just saying, as I did that very thing and way over-browned my first trial working with this dough recipe (and it was only over 3 minutes).
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 5 large hand pies, each contains: (for 10 small pies, halve these numbers)
389 calories
27.8 g fat
21.28 g carbs, 3.92 g fiber, 17.36 g NET CARBS (8.68 net carbs for the smaller pies)
24.64 g protein
288 mg sodium
Buttoni's Low-Carb Recipes 
Yum…. I love the idea of pineapple with butternut. Way to go!
And man, were they ever good!! Even my husband, who usually doesn’t like squash “imitation” desserts ate two of these over the two days they were around! You’ll like these, Robyn.