I made cheese straws for a Christmas party at uni one year and they became an infamous crowd pleaser specifically with my favourite girlies on Tyndell’s Park Road! So exam time called for supplies to fuel everyone on!
This batch included simple mature cheddar with a kick of cayenne but I also made a sage, cheddar and cumin seed variety so feel free to add whatever you like. Thyme, rosemary, Dijon mustard or marmite. I’ve left quantities out as they can literally be made with any leftover puff pastry scraps and any lonely cuts of cheese!
- A block/leftover puff pastry (see here if you want to make your own)
- Mature cheddar cheese (or any other strong hard cheese)
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- Preheat the oven to 220°C and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Simply roll out your puff pastry into a rectangle to a few millimetres thick. (If using marmite, mustard, pesto or any type of spread, brush the sheet with a very thin layer at this point). Brush the sheet with beaten egg.
- Grate over a thin layer of cheese making sure you don’t leave the edges bare. Season with a little salt and black pepper and sprinkle with cayenne if you like (At this point add any other herbs, seasonings, spices etc)
- Use your rolling pin to gently press the cheese onto the pastry to keep it stuck down and cut the pastry into strips about 1.5cm wide.
- Take the strips at both ends and twist into a spiral and place on the tray, squashing the ends onto the tray to help them stick and hold their shape. Brush any exposed pastry with beaten egg and bake for about 15minutes checking now and again until golden.
Avoid the urge to devour the lot alone. Best eaten warm but also amazing dipped into any spicy dips or spreads or served as a canape in mini form. Their greasy buttery taste goes particularly well with a glass of Champagne and Prosecco so any excuse for a glass of fizz naturally calls for these. Try this Biancavigna, Prosecco Spumante Brut NV available at Armit Wines