I visited a friend in Seattle and had dinner at a local spot in Capitol Hill. The restaurant served a slightly sweet version of cornbread that was just perfect for dessert. I was inspired to make a similar version and headed to the internet to find a recipe. Adding pineapple to cornbread was a new idea to me, but it apparently is not as novel as I had thought. There was a good collection of this tropical cornbread, and after just a few minutes of searching, low and behold, the restaurant’s recipe was actually featured in a local newspaper. It was a hit at our annual Independence Day BBQ
http://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/plain-or-fanciful-cornbread-is-tasty-either-way/
The salty-sweet contrast and the texture are the highlights of this dish. There is just a slight aroma of pineapple hiding behind the more predominant toasted coconut. Next time, I think I will try a twist on the pineapple upside down cake. Caramelized pineapple in addition to pineapple throughout the cake with boost that pineapple flavor.
For square baking dish. Use 1 1/2 times recipe for 9X13 dish
1 cup all-purpose flour
11/8 cup medium-grind cornmeal
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1¼ teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
4 eggs
1½ cups frozen corn, thawed (or canned corn, drained)
1 packed cup crushed canned pineapple, drained
¼ cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)
4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
Shredded sweetened coconut to garnish
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Grease and flour a 2-quart baking dish.
3. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.
4. Beat butter on high. Add eggs; beat well.
5. Beat in flour mixture on low speed just until combined.
6. Stir in corn, drained pineapple, creme fraiche and grated cheese.
7. Bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
8. Pile a generous amount of shredded coconut on top and bake at 400 degrees F for several additional minutes to lightly toast the coconut.
Nesting On A Hill 