Puff Pastry Cheese Straws

Before you start

Cheese straws are a simple party snack: puff pastry layered with grated cheese and spices, cut into strips, twisted and baked until crisp and golden. Folding the cheese inside the pastry, rather than only sprinkling it on top, gives cheese in every layer and stops most of it from scorching on the pan. A little more on the outside adds a crunchy, savory crust.

Use a hard, aged cheese grated finely, such as Parmesan, aged cheddar or Gruyère, because it melts into the pastry instead of greasing it. Chill the twisted strips before baking so the pastry rises cleanly and the twists keep their shape, and bake them until they are deep golden all the way through. Pale cheese straws turn soft within hours.

Ingredients

• 400 g puff pastry — all-butter store-bought or homemade, chilled
• 1 large egg — beaten with 1 tbsp water
• 60 g (⅔ cup) Parmesan — finely grated
• 50 g (½ cup) Gruyère — finely grated
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp flaky salt or sesame seeds — for the tops

Method

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Mix the Parmesan, Gruyère, paprika, black pepper and cayenne in a small bowl.
2. On a lightly floured counter, roll the pastry into a 30 x 40 cm (12 x 16 in) rectangle, about 3 mm thick. Brush it all over with egg wash.
3. Sprinkle about three quarters of the cheese mixture over one half of the rectangle (a 30 x 20 cm area). Fold the bare half over it, press firmly with your hands, then roll lightly to a 30 x 25 cm (12 x 10 in) rectangle to seal the layers together.
4. Brush the top with egg wash and scatter over the remaining cheese and the flaky salt or sesame seeds, pressing gently so they stick.
5. Cut the pastry into strips 1.25 cm (½ in) wide and 25 cm long. Hold each end and twist in opposite directions 4 or 5 times, then lay the twists on the sheets 2.5 cm (1 in) apart, pressing the ends down so they stay twisted.
6. Refrigerate the sheets for 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
7. Bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 15 minutes, until puffed, deep golden all over and crisp when tapped. Cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely, about 10 minutes.

Tips for success

• Grate the cheese with the fine holes of a box grater or a microplane. Coarse shreds fall out of the twists and burn on the pan.
• Pressing the ends of the twists onto the parchment stops them from unwinding as the pastry puffs.
• Make the straws a day ahead, store them airtight, and recrisp for a few minutes before serving.

Substitutions

Gruyère

Aged cheddar gives a sharper, more tangy flavor and a deeper orange color. Use an extra-sharp, low-moisture block, finely grated.

Smoked paprika

Use ½ tsp dried thyme or 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary for a herby version, or ½ tsp mustard powder for a classic British flavor.

Egg wash

Brush with milk or cream for an egg-free glaze. The straws are less shiny and the cheese adheres a little less well.

Variations

Everything bagel straws

Replace the paprika and cayenne with 1 tbsp everything bagel seasoning, using half inside and half on top.

Marmite cheese straws

Spread 1 tbsp Marmite thinly over the pastry before the cheese for a deeply savory, salty version.

Troubleshooting

Twists unwound in the oven

The ends were not anchored or the pastry was warm. Press the ends firmly on the parchment and chill before baking.

Cheese burned on the pan

Too much cheese was on the outside or the shreds were coarse. Keep most of it folded inside and grate it finely.

Straws soft in the middle

They were underbaked. Bake until the color is deep golden throughout, not just on the tips.

Storage

Store completely cooled straws in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, and recrisp at 175°C (350°F) for 4 to 5 minutes. Unbaked twisted straws can be frozen on a sheet, bagged and baked from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes.

Safety notes

Contains wheat, milk and egg. Do not taste raw pastry.