Paprika, Cayenne and Rosemary Cheese Straws
These cheese straws are a perfect salty snack. Satisfyingly crispy with a smoky umami, they are moreish and addictive. Our daughter just loves them. If you’re making them for a spice-sensitive crowd, leave out the cayenne pepper.
Ingredients 7
1 quantity puff pastry, see my puff pastry recipe
egg wash, see my egg wash recipe
100 g parmesan, finely grated
1 tbsp rosemary, chopped
1 1⁄2 tsp smoked paprika
1⁄2 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
1⁄2 tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
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Method 9
Put the on a lightly floured kitchen bench and roll it out into a rectangle measuring 35 × 60 cm (13¾ × 23½ in) and 4 mm (⅛ in) thick. Put the pastry (it’s quite long, so loosely roll it if needed) between two sheets of baking paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Lay the on a lightly floured bench with one long side parallel with the edge of the bench. Brush the entire sheet with egg wash. Sprinkle 60 g (2 oz) of the parmesan evenly over the bottom half of the pastry, followed by the , , , if using, and .
Fold the top half of the pastry over the filling and lightly press down over the top to seal. Brush the top with egg wash. Your pastry sheet should now roughly measure 17.5 × 60 cm (7 × 23½ in).
With a large kitchen knife, cut the pastry into vertical strips 2 cm (¾ in) wide. This should yield up to thirty strips. Put the strips on lined trays and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
To create the twists, use your fingertips to gently stretch a strip of pastry, starting from the middle and teasing it out towards the ends. Pinch the ends and then rotate them in opposite directions to create lots of twists in the pastry. It should look like rope, about 30 cm (12 in) long.
Repeat with all the strips, then return them to the trays and into the fridge to chill. At this stage, you can freeze them until needed.
To bake the straws, preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Line a large baking tray with baking paper (if baking them all at once, you’ll need two or three large trays). Put the twists on the lined tray, leaving a 4 cm (1½ in) gap between each one, then sprinkle the remaining 40 g (1½ oz) over the top.
Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 180°C (360°F) and turn the tray. Bake for a further 5–6 minutes until golden and flaky.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with . These are best eaten on the day they’re baked, but will keep for 2–3 days in an airtight container – refresh them in the oven at 160°C (320°F) for a few minutes.
Urbanstead's tips
I like to make up a batch and freeze them so I can bake off a few for a quick pre-dinner snack or lunch box filler. You can make and bake them all in one go, but you’ll need a few large trays, or have to bake them in batches.
