This post is long, long overdue.  I meant to share it as an immediate follow-up to the Creamy Mango Coconut Spread I posted weeks back, but life in the past month really hit me like a bus and squeezed out every last little minute that could have been spent baking or blogging.  Luckily, I just managed to snag a bit of downtime (which really shouldn’t be downtime, as I still have a lot of other things waiting to be done) to get back to the unfinished WordPress draft that has been hanging around for so long with the other bazillion tabs that have collected on my browser.

.

But seriously though, does anyone else have a problem with abusing browser tabs?  When I’m on my computer I have a habit of being distracted from my work by a random thought, opening a tab in which I Google that random thought, glancing over the first few search results and deciding, ooh this looks interesting! I’ll check it out later, and then leaving the tab to return to my previous task only to forget what I’ve just opened and be distracted by other pointless things that I want to Google in more tabs.

And while I’m on this topic, don’t even get me started on emails!  It’s so easy to mark something as “unread,” thinking I’ll come back to it later, and then forget about it (along with a million other messages) until it resurfaces months later when I’m randomly scrolling through my inbox.  Then I feel extremely bad about leaving people unanswered for so long (although the topic of the email usually isn’t that urgent) and attach some sort of oh my goodness! I’m so sorry I responded this late! to my reply.  Anyone relate?

I’m not a disorganized person; I just tend to make a lot of plans that I forget.  Anyways, this isn’t entirely why this post is so late, but that’s just my little off-topic spiel for today.
Now on to these wonderful mango coconut rolls!

There are so many adjectives I could stuff here to describe these rolls.  But I’ll stick to one that hopefully encompasses them all to some extent- these rolls are TENDER.  In terms of cheesy sensory details, they are pillows of fluffy yeasted love that collapse in your mouth, moist buttery sponge that combines creamy paradise with the homeyness of a dinner roll or a warm breakfast treat.

I based my recipe off of Asian milk bread, which produces moist, ultra-fluffy, feather-soft bread through the incorporation of a roux, a cooked paste of flour and water that helps the baked bread retain its moisture for longer.  I actually expected my rolls to have a texture that was a bit silkier like traditional milk bread,  but I may have slightly over-kneaded my dough, causing the bread to be springier and have a very slightly firmer crumb, as in these pictures – so be careful not to get carried away with kneading!  Nonetheless, they tasted incredible and were the perfect use for the sweet mango coconut spread I had just made.
I’m hoping my schedule will free up in the coming weeks and I can post more frequently.  But for now, enjoy these tasty rolls!

Mango Coconut Milk Rolls     –     makes 6 rolls 

– 1/3 cup + 2  1/2 cups all-purpose flour, kept separate
– 1/2 cup water
– 1 egg
– 1/2 cup warm whole milk
– 1 tbsp. condensed milk
– 2 tsp. active dry yeast
– 3/4 tsp. salt
– 3 tbsp. coconut oil, softened
– 2/3 cup Creamy Mango Coconut Spread
– 1 beaten egg, for egg wash
– 1 tbsp. milk, for egg wash

1. Combine the 1/3 cup of flour with the water in a saucepan over medium heat, and simmer and stir until a translucent paste is formed.  Transfer it to a mixing bowl and allow it to cool, then beat in the egg until smooth.  
2. In a separate bowl, dissolve the condensed milk into the warm milk, stir in the yeast, and allow the mixture to sit for 5 min until the surface becomes foamy.  Incorporate it into the paste.
3. Combine the 2  1/2 cups of flour with the salt and add it into the wet ingredients mixture.  Mix and transfer it onto a floured surface, and knead until the dough is almost smooth but still slightly scraggly. 
4.  Knead in the softened coconut oil a tablespoon at a time just until fully and evenly incorporated (be careful not to over-knead).  Place the dough into a bowl, cover, and allow it to rest and rise in a warm place until doubled.
5. Deflate the risen dough and divide it into six equal portions.  Roll out each piece into a circle about 4 inches in diameter and spread on a generous spoonful of the mango coconut spread.  Then fold in two opposite sides of the circle to meet at the middle, and roll it up lengthwise to form a roll.
6.  Place the rolls side-by-side into a greased baking dish, cover, and let them rise for 30 minutes. 
7.  Combine the beaten egg with the 1 tbsp. of milk, and brush it over the tops of the risen buns.  Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for around 30 minutes until the tops of the rolls are golden brown.