Makes fourteen 3/4 C servings or twenty-one 1/2 C servings.
2- 20 oz cans pineapple tidbits in juice drained -- save the juice which should be about 15-16 oz
1 T lemon juice
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 T cornstarch
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs - beaten
6 oz whipping cream
6 T powdered sugar (helps stabilize the cream) or 3 T sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 T cornstarch
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs - beaten
6 oz whipping cream
6 T powdered sugar (helps stabilize the cream) or 3 T sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
3 C miniature marshmallows
16 oz mandarin oranges in light syrup – drained
2 5/8 oz maraschino cherries -- about 15, cut in half -rinse so the red color doesn’t bleed into the salad.
Bring 4 quarts of water plus a pinch of salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-9 minutes, then test for desired tenderness. Drain and set aside. Drain pineapple saving the juice. Add pineapple to drained pasta.
In a 2‑quart pan, whisk together the pineapple juice, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the beaten eggs while you continue whisking. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full boil and thickens. Pour the hot pudding over the pasta–pineapple mixture and stir to combine. Chill thoroughly; overnight is best. (When Frog Eye Salad is on the Christmas menu, I make the pudding several days ahead. Then I cook the pasta two days before Christmas and finish assembling the salad the next day.)
In a chilled bowl with cold beaters, whip the cream until it starts to thicken. Add vanilla. Sprinkle in the powdered sugar and keep beating until you’ve got firm peaks.
Stir the marshmallows into the pasta mixture, then fold in the prepared whipped cream. Gently fold in the oranges and cherries. Sprinkle a little ground nutmeg over the top. Chill until fully set. (If you add the cherries too early, their red color will bleed into the other ingredients.)
Hint #1: This is a great recipe for using those marshmallows that have petrified on your shelf. When you chill the salad overnight, the marshmallows magically resurrect.
Hint #2: Walmart’s organic spices in glass jars are a game‑changer. Try them once and you’ll never look back.
