Frog Eye Salad

I never liked Frog Eye Salad as a kid, because I thought the texture was weird.  Dan's mom made this salad once though and I loved it.  It's really more like dessert. This salad is best when made the night before you plan on eating it. 

 

Frog Eye Salad, from the kitchen of Kathy McRae

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbs flour
• 1 tsp butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 tsp lemon juice
• 1 cup pineapple juice (reserved from the crushed pineapple)
• 1 cup acini di pepe pasta (uncooked)
• 1 cup drained crushed pineapple
• 12 oz. Cool Whip, thawed
• 2 large or 3 small cans drained mandarin oranges
• 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

Preparation Instructions:
Combine the sugar, flour, butter, salt, egg, lemon juice, and pineapple juice in a saucepan. Place on medium heat stirring frequently until it comes to a boil.  Cool completely.  It will thicken as it cools. 

 

Boil acini di pepe in water for about 10 minutes.  Drain.  Rinse in cold water.  When all liquid is removed from the acini, add the cooled mixture.  Refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 - 8 hours.  Add Cool Whip, crushed pineapple, drained mandarin oranges, and marshmallows. 

 

Serves 10

Note: The original directions say to put the acini di pepe on a cookie sheet or large plate that's covered with paper towels and pat dry after it's been cooked.  I tried this the first time I made it and the acini stuck to everything and we had acini all over the kitchen and I wasted half of it.  Now, I just let it sit in the strainer while the pineapple mixture is cooling and it is plenty dry.