The first rule of owning a freezer is always have some puff pastry in it. Other than that you can include what you want, though be sure to have at least one novelty ice-cube tray. Here at Yumblog Mansions it’s a toss-up between the Lego piece tray and the green Ampelmann tray, though for the sake of practicality the loveheart ones have both size and squeeze-outability on their side. But enough of ice cubes and onto cheese straws. The imminent hosting of a drinks and nibbles event can always be the cause for some degree of mild panic - should we really feed people or will the ironic provision of vol-au-vents and pineapple/cheese on sticks in a grapefruit suffice? Whatever you decide, I advise that you crack out the puff. Everyone likes a cheese straw, it’s made with cheese and pastry and of course, love.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Skill level: easy
Ingredients
- puff pastry - a packet of pre-rolled or a block of
- assorted hard cheeses for a diversity of straws, a Cheddar, an Emmenthal and a Red Leicester, for instance
- an egg - lightly beaten
- pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle liberally with grated cheese. Add a grating of pepper. Take your rolling pin and gently roll over the cheese so that it becomes a little entrenched. Cut the pastry into strips about 1cm wide. Cut the straws into lengths that you deem suitable for your purposes. Twist. Place on greased baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and stick in oven to bake for 20 minutes.
Remove.
Marvel at your lovely puffy straws.
Eat.
Verdict: Cheesey sticks of puff pastry goodness.
Drink: A meaty red perhaps or whatever you want to drink within the boundaries of the acceptable. Probably not Chartreuse.
Entertainment: The merry banter of friends/the unknown quantity of the shuffle button.
6 responses so far ↓
1 Briony Bob // Jan 5, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Bought puff pastry? It’s amazingly easy to make your own, and not nearly as time consuming as people make out!
2 richard // Jan 5, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Ah, but it is still quite faffy and the whole point of this particular item is its speed and simplicity. I have made puff pastry but would tend to make it for more involved dishes.
D
3 James // Jan 5, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Haven’t made these for centuries - you just reminded me how good they are!
4 tara // Jan 6, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Now these are the archetype all further cheese straws aim to be; they’re just gorgeous. I must say with store-bought or from scratch puff, nibbles like these always seem to go fastest at cocktail parties - I’ve also spread them with pesto or tapenade, paired with Parmesan, for a heartier version. Cheers!
5 Me // Jan 7, 2009 at 2:01 pm
How much olive oil are we looking at here? Couple of table spoons? Sorry to ask but I dont want to drown the poor cheese sticks! Or use not enough.
6 Daisy // Jan 7, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Be gentle. Obviously quantity of oil depends on quantity of straws. Use a pourer with your oil better to regulate the amount used, but given the cheese and pastriness of the straws, err on the side of a gentle moistening.
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