There's granulated and brown sugar in the filling and also the drop crust. If you want to make the "no sugar added" version, you'll use white regular (not baking blend) plus brown Splenda ~ but be aware that even fresh pineapple does contain quite a bit of natural sugar, so you can't really call this "sugar-free". I used regular all-purpose flour, but you could substitute oat or gluten-free flour if you're watching carbs.
Fresh PINA COLADA COBBLER w/MACADAMIA NUT CRUST
Sugar or no-sugar-added
1 fresh pineapple ~or~ 2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into small cubes
About 3/4 cups flaked coconut (unsweetened if no-sugar-added)
1/4 cup white sugar ~or~ 1/4 cup regular white Splenda (not baking blend)
1/4 cup brown sugar ~or~ 2 TB brown Splenda blend + 1 TB cornstarch
1 tsp. ground cinnamon………………………………...….1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
enough liquid to equal about 1/2 cup (if you have enough fresh pineapple juice, that's best ~ if not, then add 1-2 tsp. lemon juice to water to equal 1/2 cup when combined with your pineapple juice)
1 TB cornstarch (in addition to the cornstarch that you use if you're using brown Splenda)
For Cobbler crust:
3/4 cup flour (can be oat flour or gluten-free flour)…....1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup white sugar ~or~ regular white Splenda (not baking blend)
1/4 cup brown sugar ~or~ 2 TB brown Splenda + 2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 tsp. baking powder…………………………………….....1/4 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp. baking soda (only if using Splenda)
6 TB unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
PLUS: extra sugar or Splenda to sprinkle on top
***
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 2-1/2 qt. (or deep 9” square pan) with buttery non-stick spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine pineapple and coconut with the other top ingredients. Toss to coat evenly, and put into the prepared dish.
Combine the flour, nuts, sugars, baking powder, baking soda (if using) and salt in that same bowl. Then blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water (I used a wooden spoon) until just combined.
Drop big dollops of the crust mixture over the pineapple mixture. Sprinkle the top with the extra sugar/Splenda. Cover the dish and bake for 30 minutes ~ then UNCOVER the dish and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes (or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly). (NOTE: If the filling looked too dry when you uncovered the cobbler, you can pour another 1/4 to 1/2 cup lemon water around the edge of the cobbler.)
Serve warm or cold ** Great with a scoop of ice cream or Cool Whip on top
****
PINEAPPLE TIP:
Put your fresh pineapple UPSIDE-DOWN in a bowl or pitcher for several hours (or overnight) before you use it. That will let all the juice inside flow to the top of the pineapple and make it evenly sweet and juicy throughout the whole pineapple. (Haven't you noticed that the bottom is usually heavier and juicier when you buy them? That's because the juice settles at the bottom.)
NOTE: When cutting a pineapple, it's most important to cut around the core in the center ~ and get all of the green from the skin on the outside OFF. If some of the brown from the "eyes" is still on, that's ok.
** Some pineapples are juicier than others, so the amount of lemon water you use in this recipe may vary each time that you make it!