Salad Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

I was taught how to make these at a party recently, and when it got really hot I wanted to have some more. These are fresh tasting and super filling, and great for using up your farmer's market haul!

Notes:

• Don't let the wrapper sit too long in the water or it will get really soft and might rip or get gummy.
• These don't keep very well (the wrapper texture gets kind of tough and it's kind of like chewing on plastic) so be sure you're going to eat them within about an hour of assembling them and do not refrigerate them. You can prepare and chop all of the ingredients and then store them until you're ready to make them.
• Suggestions for fillings:
• Vegetables: lettuce leaves, salad greens, cabbage, carrot, cucumber, sweet pepper, kohlrabi, radish
• Herbs: Thai basil, regular basil, mint, cilantro
• Proteins: dry fried tofu, shredded cooked chicken or pork, cooked shrimp
• Others: cooked rice vermicelli, cooked glass noodles, mango, avocado

RECIPE: Salad Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Chai Spice Cinnamon Rolls

I first tried chai as a high schooler. My friend and I would sometimes go to coffee shops for our friends' live band shows but I did not really like coffee. She suggested chai to me as an alternative and I ended up liking it a lot! I drink it with a lot less sugar in it these days, but the warming spices mixed with black tea and milk is a winning combination.

A recent jaunt on Pinterest gave me a hankering for chai spiced cinnamon rolls. Somehow cinnamon rolls don't seem like middle-of-the-summer food but that was what I wanted. Sometimes you want to try something so badly you don't care how hot it is and you turn on your oven and deal with it.

Notes:

• I used this recipe by Fit Foodie Finds to determine general ratios of the spices in the filling, but feel free to tweak them to your liking.
• If you don't have whole milk, low fat milk can be used. I have not tried it with non dairy milks but I think they would work just fine here.
• Plastic pizza cutter wheels are a wondrous tool and they also work great for cutting doughs like this one.
• I needed to add more flour to the dough. 
• There's a LOT of filling and I might cut back on the butter/sugar next time. 
• Definitely roll from the short side! I accidentally rolled mine from the long side and they were falling apart.

Verdict: They're really soft and a little chewy. I loved them and would make them again.

------------------

RECIPE:

Chai Spice Cinnamon Rolls

adapted from Life Made Simple

Makes about 12 rolls

Dough

2 3/4 cups (350g) all purpose flour, plus more for rolling

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup (52g) granulated sugar

2 tbsp (1/4 stick, about 28g) butter

1/2 cup (120 ml) warm water

1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk

1 large egg

Filling

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Heaping 1/4 tsp ground allspice

Heaping 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

Heaping 1/4 tsp ground cloves

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp (42g) butter, softened

Glaze (optional)

1 1/2 cups (195g) powdered or confectioners sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick, about 56g) butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp (30-45 ml) milk

Make the dough: Stir together flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined, then set aside. In a glass measuring cup or small microwave safe bowl, heat the sugar, butter, water, and milk in the microwave on high until the butter is almost melted and the mixture is hot, about 90 seconds. (If you do not have a microwave, heat these ingredients in a saucepan over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until hot and the butter has almost melted.) Add this to the flour mixture in several additions, then add egg, stirring well, until a sticky dough forms. Switch to the dough hook attachment and let mix on the lowest setting until the dough becomes elastic, about 4 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for about 5 minutes.

Fill and shape the rolls: Preheat oven to 200°F (95°C) while you shape the rolls. Prepare a lightly floured surface, then roll the dough with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 16 x 9 inch (40 x 23 cm) rectangle. Combine brown sugar, spices, and vanilla extract in a small bowl with a spoon. Spread softened butter on top of the dough rectangle. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly over the buttered dough. Grab the short side and tightly roll the dough into a log. Cut log into 12 equal slices.

Let rolls rise: Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and gently place the rolls inside. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Turn off the oven and place the baking dish inside. Let rise for about 25 minutes, then take the dish out of the oven.

Bake the rolls: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Once it is ready, return baking dish to oven and bake until the center of each roll is golden brown, approximately 15-18 minutes. Place dish on a rack and let cool while you prepare the glaze.

Prepare glaze: Place all ingredients (with the smaller amount of milk) in a small bowl and mix with a spoon or beat with a hand mixer until smooth. It should be fairly thick but still pourable; thin with additional milk if needed. Spread or pour on top of slightly warm (not hot!) rolls.