About a month ago, I took a cooking class at Ocean Mart in Roy, Utah. (Did you know they have cooking classes? They’re a total blast.) I signed up for their spring roll class because they are undeniably one of my favorite foods. So light, refreshing, and healthy. And the possible flavor combinations…good grief! What’s not to love about these things?
At the cooking class, we all sat around a table while we listened to our instructor introduce all the ingredients and explain how to roll them up. Then we all got to try our hand at it. In a traditional spring roll, there are rice noodles, meat, lettuce, bean sprouts, and sometimes herbs. You can dip them in peanut hoisin sauce. You guys, they are amazing!
For the past little while, I’d been toying with the idea of making fruit spring rolls and so this was the perfect opportunity to put these spring roll making skills to the test. I know that baking in the summer is, for a lot of people, something they don’t want to do. But maybe sometimes we want a dessert that isn’t ice cream. Amiright?
So here we are with these fruit spring rolls. They feature one of my favorite fruits, golden kiwis. If you can find them in your store, they’re definitely worth grabbing. They’re a sweeter, more mild kiwi and aren’t they just gorgeous?! If you can’t find golden kiwis, you can definitely use regular kiwis. Just make sure they are nice and ripe.
If you’re new to wrapping, these photos may be of some help. The blue circle is a special tool that I was given in class. It helps keep the rice from sticking to your board. It’s helpful, but it’s definitely not necessary to make them.
You’ll want to fold up the bottom inch or so of the rice wrapper, then place the fruit right above where it’s folded. Then gently (extra gently!) bring the bottom of the wrapper up and over half of the fruit, tucking in and making sure the fruit is nice and tight. This is when it is really beneficial to slice your fruit thin, it’ll be more bendable and easier to roll.
Then, you tuck in the sides of the rice wrapper, just like this:
Then you keep rolling until it’s wrapped up! The most helpful tip I can give you here is to make sure your fruit is tucked in nicely and held into place with your fingers while you roll. It may be a little difficult at first, but you’ll get the hang of it!
These would be perfect for an appetizer or dessert at a barbecue, or even a pretty snack at a shower. Where would you eat these things? Let me know!
Fruit Spring Rolls with Caramelized Pineapple Sauce
Try this refreshing no-bake summer dessert
Ingredients
- 3 golden kiwis, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 honeycrisp apple, cored and julienned
- 8 strawberries, thinly sliced
- 1 mango, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- handful of fresh mint leaves
- 8 spring roll wrappers
- juice from 1/2 lime
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice (preferably fresh)
- juice from 1/2 lime
Instructions
To make the sauce:
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In a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together over medium-high heat. Let the mixture bubble and caramelize for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove mixture from heat and carefully add the pineapple juice. Whisk to make sure it is well blended, then put back on the heat and allow to boil for up to 5 minutes, or until the mixture starts to thicken slightly. Remove from heat and add lime juice. Allow to cool in the fridge until it is cold and ready for use.
To assemble:
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Sprinkle the remaining amount of juice over the julienned apples and gently toss. Grab a large bowl and fill with warm (not hot) water. Use a cutting board or another clean, flat surface to roll the rice paper. Take one rice wrapper and gently place it, completely submerged, in the water for 5 seconds. Remove from the water and place wrapper on your cutting board. Fold up the slight bottom edge of the wrapper (about 1 inch of the wrapper) then start layering the fruit about a half inch from the bottom of the wrapper.
Layer the sliced strawberries, then kiwis, then apples, then mangoes, then place two small mint leaves on top. Grab the bottom of the rice wrapper and pull it up over the bottom of the layered fruit. Then, fold in the sides, just like you're wrapping a burrito. With the sides tucked in, continue rolling from the bottom towards the top of the wrapper, making sure the fruit is tucked in and tight while you're rolling. After you are finished, set the spring roll aside on a plate and continue with the remaining wrappers and fruit. Serve with pineapple sauce. Enjoy!
