This is delicious! Been making this for many years. I got the same recipe from a neighbor. I will never change the ingredients. It's fine the way it is!
I liked this very much, but did cut it down to a smaller scale. After cooking orzo, I put cooked orzo in a bowl and added juice to orzo without heating and allowed the juice to absorb into orzo, stirring occasionally. Once juice was absorbed into orzo, I put the bowl of orzo into the refrigerator for about an hour. After given time to cool, I added fruit in recipe (1 can of pineapple tidbits, 1 can mandarin oranges, and maraschino cherries) to bowl I also added some coconut flakes and crushed pecans. Then I mixed in cool whip, until well blended. Ihe salad isn't thick but it's lightly sweet and very enjoyable.
My brother LOVES this stuff. I made it more out of sentimentality than anything for Easter this year. It went over poorly with my husband's family. Texture was an issue. Flavor is sweet enough.
I use fruit cocktail instead of pineapple chunks and have used both a can of regular and large chunk fruit cocktail to change the textures a bit. I also add a large jar of maraschino cherries along with the called for can of crushed pineapple and large can or 2 smaller cans of mandarin oranges. Drain all juices into pan to thicken as listed then add most of a large tub of cool whip. It's what I had on hand and now the family and friends ask for it! Both the original recipe and my adapted are very good!
I cut the recipe in half because it makes so much so only used the can of crushed pineapple and not the chunks. I cooked the syrup but it didn't thicken even after cooling for 30 minutes so brought it back up to a slow boil mixed 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in a tablespoon of water added that brought it to boil and it thickened nicely. Definitely a keeper!
Very good but...The amount the recipe makes is HUGE! If you want an amount for a one time dinner try to scale it down. We had a ton leftover.
I like this recipe but do not like how the egg whites clump up in the sauce.
I love this fruit salad made just the way the recipe says. I think it would also make a very good dessert since it is sweet and light. More kinds of fruit could be added also but it is so good just the way it is.