Before starting, make sure the butter is softened and the egg is room temperature. To soften the butter quickly, microwave the butter for 12-15 seconds. To bring the egg to room temperature quickly, place the whole egg into a bowl of hot water from the tap for a few minutes.

In a bowl, mix together the softened butter and sugar with a spatula until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg, then add it to the butter and sugar mixture. Add the vanilla extract if using. Mix until fully incorporated; using a whisk will make this easier!

Add the milk powder and salt, and mix until thoroughly combined.

For the topping, take 1/3 cup of this mixture and place it into a separate bowl. Add flour to this and mix until it becomes a smooth paste.

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Take the Kings Hawaiian Original Sweet Rolls (or your rolls of choice) out of the package, and remove the paper tray. Don’t separate them into individual rolls — keeping them in tact will keep each bun softer while it bakes, and make prep easier.

Slice off the top 1/3 of the buns in a single layer. A long bread knife will make this very easy!

Carve out a hole in each bun about 1-1.5 inches wide. You can save these extra pieces of bread to eat as a snack or for breadcrumbs.

Add a heaping tablespoon of filling (the mixture with the coconut) to each bun (a small ice cream scooper works great here). Smooth the filling down so that the tops sit flat and snug. Place the tops back onto the buns.

Create a foil tray that wraps around the sides and bottoms of the buns (see video for reference). This will prevent them from browning too much while baking.

Brush the top of the buns with water, then sprinkle sesame seeds over the tops.

To make the stripes on the top, place the topping mixture (the smooth paste) into a piping bag or a parchment cone, then pipe two stripes per roll. See the video for reference!

Lastly, place the foil tray-lined buns into a wire rack stacked on a baking sheet tray, then bake for 8 minutes or until the stripes on top have solidified and become very lightly golden. Try not to bake too much longer than that to prevent browning. Enjoy!

Store these in a resealable bag or airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or refrigerator for up to 3 days. I prefer reheating these in the microwave by wrapping the bun in a moist paper towel, and microwaving for 30 seconds.