A cutting board displaying an assortment of cheese and breadsticks.

Tom’s Cheese Straws

You can't beat a good old cheese straw! If you have a spare block of rough puff pastry lying around and need an idea of what to do with it, cheese straws are a great crowd-pleasing savory treat, especially around the Christmas period. These can be made in advance and stored in the freezer until you need them. Once cooked, they don't dry out as much as other rough puff items due to the amount of cheese involved.

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 210°C (fan oven: 190°C).
  2. In a bowl, mix the grated cheese with all the seasonings.
  3. Roll the pastry out into a long rectangle, about 2-3 mm thick.
  4. Sprinkle just under half of the cheese mixture over one half of the pastry. Fold the cheese-free half back over to cover the cheese.
  5. Pat down to help the layers stick together, then roll out again. Sprinkle most of the leftover cheese over half of the rectangle and fold as before.
  6. Sprinkle the small amount of remaining cheese over the top. Cover with parchment and lightly roll the cheese into the pastry to help it stick.
  7. Place the cheesy pastry in the fridge to rest for 10 minutes.
  8. Remove from the fridge and cut into 1-2 cm thick straws. Place the straws on a flat baking tray lined with parchment paper.
  9. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Be careful not to burn the cheese on the top layer, as this will make them taste bitter (turn the oven down if necessary).
  10. Leave to cool for 10 minutes and enjoy! These are best while still warm.

 

If you prefer a video, there’s one just below that you can watch to follow the steps!

 

Ingredients

  • 250g rough puff pastry
  • 100g grated strong cheddar (such as Wookey Hole Cave Aged or Old Winchester)
  • 1 tbsp English mustard powder
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper or paprika
  • Few drops of Worcestershire sauce (optional)
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