Delightful Fruit Salad
This fruit salad is bursting with flavor from a mix of fruits and a sweet pineapple dressing. Perfect as a refreshing snack or delightful dessert.
This fruit salad is bursting with flavor from a mix of fruits and a sweet pineapple dressing. Perfect as a refreshing snack or delightful dessert.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup flaked coconut
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1-3/4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
- 1 package (16 ounces) acini di pepe pasta
- 3 cans (11 ounces each) mandarin oranges drained
- 2 cans (20 ounces each) pineapple chunks drained
- 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple drained
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- 1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping thawed
- Carbohydrate 3.153453785007 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.752955868058264 g
- Fiber 0.283741309675345 g
- Protein 0.176888020864361 g
- Saturated Fat 0.703031076389319 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (11g)
- Sodium 2342.56678099299 mg
- Sugar 2.86971247533166 g
- Trans Fat 0.00221690972311539 g
- Calories 19 calories
Step-by-step
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Gradually stir in pineapple juice. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into eggs; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in lemon juice.
- Transfer to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature without stirring. Cover surface of dressing with waxed paper; refrigerate until cooled.
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a very large bowl; stir in the oranges, pineapple, marshmallows, coconut and dressing. Fold in whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
A dry ingredient list hides how starch, acid, and sugar behave when combined in large quantities. This preparation relies on cooking acini di pepe—tiny bead-shaped pasta—until tender, then chilling it thoroughly. Acini di pepe functions similarly to rice grains in cold dishes, absorbing surrounding moisture without disintegrating. Budget-conscious cooks often use standard elbow macaroni as a direct one-to-one pound substitution.
The Science of the Dressing
Combining pineapple juice, sugar, flour, and eggs creates a cooked custard base. Heating the juice with flour gelatinizes the starch molecules, yielding a stable liquid thickener. Tempering the eggs by whisking a small amount of hot liquid into them before combining prevents curdling. Lemon juice introduces citric acid, which brightens the sweet pineapple profile and balances the heavy coconut notes.
- Cool the cooked dressing completely to room temperature before folding in whipped topping to prevent thermal deflation.
- Press waxed paper directly onto the surface of the warm dressing to stop a rubbery skin from forming during refrigeration.
- Rinse the boiled pasta in cold water immediately after draining to halt starch gelatinization and wash away surface starches.
- Store the finished mixture in a sealed container for up to 24 hours before serving to allow the pasta to fully hydrate.
