These cheese straws are so moreish. I like mine with a dollop of chutney, but they’re very easy to nibble straight off the plate. If you’re making them for a party, put a few aside for yourself before everyone else gets to them.
My Homemade Cheese Straws Recipe
This is a dough you make from flour, butter and cheese, rather than a sheet of ready-made puff pastry. There’s cheddar and parmesan in there, plus paprika. Nothing terribly complicated, although you do need to leave half an hour for the dough to chill.
The original batch made about 16 straws. Yours may make more if you cut them shorter or narrower. Keep them a similar size so they bake together.
Ingredients
- 375g plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 225g butter, cut into small pieces
- 175g cheddar, grated
- 50g parmesan, grated
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 egg yolks
- 4 tbsp cold water
Method
- Sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the salt. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
- Add both cheeses, the paprika, egg yolks and water. Mix to form a firm dough. Bring it together without kneading it for ages.
- Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 190°C conventional, or about 170°C fan, and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
- Roll the chilled dough to roughly 3mm thick. Cut into long strips, twist gently and lay on the tray, leaving a little space between them.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Check earlier if you’ve made very thin straws. Leave them to firm up before moving to a rack.
If The Dough Is Awkward To Work With
If it’s getting soft and sticky, give it another short spell in the fridge. If a strip breaks when you twist it, you can press it back together, or leave that one straight. Nobody’s going to refuse a cheese straw because it hasn’t got a perfect spiral.
Serving Your Cheese Straws
They’re a lovely party snack, but I wouldn’t reserve them just for guests. A couple with lunch and some chutney would make me very happy. Let them cool before putting them in an airtight container; I think they’re at their best freshly baked.
This recipe contains wheat, egg and dairy. For a different savoury lunch idea, try my Mexican beef and bean soup, or browse the recipe archive.
This is making me hungry! #picknmix
Oh dear sorry about that!
I’ve never made these, but I think they are in my near future! What a great addition to a buffet, and they would be great with soup or salad too. In fact, perhaps a nice side with Lamb Pumpkin Stew!
Ooh yes I didn’t think about this. I’d love a couple of these with my lunchtime soup. Nice!
Great recipe, I’m definitely going to try this!
Janet
Hope you enjoy it Janet. It’s been one of our highlights this autumn.
Looks great to me. #PicknMix
Thanks Helena
These look delicious. We all love cheese straws so I am betting they wouldn’t last long in our house – I will need to try it out. x #AnythingGoes
Ooh! I didn’t think I had enough ingredients in to do baking today, but I do have enough to try these. That’s our activity sorted for this afternoon. Yum
You had me at “cheese.” Definitely trying and pinning now!
Mmmm these look so good. Cheese straws are one of my favourites!
#BloggerClubUK
Mine too Cathryn, they go down so well. Maybe too well!
These look delicious! I love cheese straws and haven’t made them for ages. I must put that right with my girls x #blogclubuk
They’d be great to do with your girls Laura. Kids love getting their hands dirty in the kitchen!
LOVE cheese straws! They are a staple at parties in the south. I’ve created a twist to them to make them healthier for my little ones – I add baked kale that has been crushed up! They’re really good!
That’s a great idea Kellie. I’m not a bit kale fan but I do like to try it in other things to see if I can find a way to like it. It is supposed to be a superfood. I’ll have to try that next time I pop some together for a gathering.