Here's my latest low-carb recipe re-work. Came out quite good for my first experiment with this family favorite holiday dessert. Pictured here: http://buttoni.wordpress.com/2011/1...n-apple-pastry/

When I was in high school in Kansas, my best friend’s mother was from Budapest and quite a good cook. She regularly made this wonderful apple dessert that has since become a family favorite holiday dessert. She gave my mother the recipe and I have just reworked it for a low-carb lifestyle, using an entirely different crust. The original recipe is made with all apples and a few raisins and the original crust was loaded with sour cream. I have omitted the raisins entirely and have made mine with mostly chayote squash, only one apple and a low-carb crust. Just so I would know for myself, I worked up the nutritional numbers for making this with 5 small apples and no chayote as well and will provide that info below for anyone interested in making this with all apples. Doing so ups the carbs approximately 2 carbs per serving, which isn’t that bad in my opinion. So for holidays, I will definitely make this with all apples. But the chayote/apple combo wasn’t bad and I would consider doing this way throughout the year to pull those carbs down! This dish should not be enjoyed until the fruit rung of OWL.

INGREDIENTS:

2 recipes Peggy’s “Flour” Pie Crust: http://buttoni.wordpress.com/2010/1...lour-pie-crust/
1/3 c. granular Splenda (add to crust mixture)
2 chayote squash, peeled and sliced ¼-3/8″ thick
1 small delicious apple (2½” diameter), peeled and sliced ¼” thick
3/4 c. pecans, chopped
2 T. rum
1 T. fresh lemon juice
lemon zest of 1 lemon
3/4 c. erythritol
2½ tsp. cinnamon
3 egg whites, beaten to frothy/soft peaks

DIRECTIONS: You need a 8½” x 11½” baking pan for this recipe. Preheat oven to 350º. Make the double recipe of pie crust dough per that recipe’s instructions, adding the 1/3 c. Splenda to the mixture. When pastry is kneaded into a solid ball of dough, form a log and break apart into 60% and 40% (bottom crust takes a little more dough than the top crust).

BOTTOM CRUST: Take the larger piece of dough, shape in a rough log and place between two pieces plastic. Roll out dough into a rectangle the size of the pan’s bottom plus the depth of the sides. Dough will be fairly thin but still manageable. The dough must be large enough go up the sides of the pan completely to the top and over the edge in order not to fall when baked. Peel top plastic off carefully and fold in half/lift pastry into the pan. Adjust pastry to fit. Carefully remove second piece of plastic and fit pastry well into the walls and corners of the pan without tearing. Allow pastry to lay over the top edge of the pan to “hold on” and not fall inward during baking. Bake for 10-12 minutes until it just begins to lightly brown. Remove and cool while you make the filling.

FILLING: Peel and slice chayote squash and microwave covered on HI for 8-10 minutes until soft. Peel apple and place in bowl with chayote. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl with electric hand mixer until thick (thick and frothy/soft peaks). Add nuts, rum, lemon juice and zest, erythritol and cinnamon to the apple/squash mixture and then fold in the beaten egg whites until the fruit and nuts are well-moistened. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the filling into the half-baked crust. Spread as evenly as possible, pushing up into corners of pastry. Level the apples and squash pieces so no pointy bits are sticking up as they may tear the top pastry. I’ve had that happen before.

TOP CRUST: Roll the remaining ball of dough between the two plastic sheets, rolling it into a rectangle just a tiny bit larger than the top of the pan. Peel off top plastic and fold up/lift gently onto the filling, being sure the edges are fitting over the bottom crust. Crimp the top crust onto the bottom crust with your fingers to seal it well. Pop into hot 350º oven for about 22-25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges and done in the center. Dough will be a tiny bit soft but dry to the touch. It will look like this when done:

Cool completely before cutting into 24 squares (6×4) and removing from pan with a spatula. Traditionally my friend’s mother always served these with a light dusting of powdered sugar on top, but I have always preferred them without. Powdered erythritol would work for this purpose if you wish to dust them.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 24 bars/servings, each containing:

74.14 calories
6.43 g fat
7.1 g carbs, 5.33 g fiber, 1.77 NET CARBS
2.68 g protein
61.33 mg sodium
40% RDA copper, 22% iron, 29% manganese

NOTE: If you want to make these with all apple for the holidays, using 5 small 2½” apples and no chayote squash at all, these will have: 93 calories, 7.5g fat, 10.06 g carbs, 6.36 g fiber, 3.7 net carbs, 3.03 g protein and 61.2 mg sodium