How to make Puff Pastry Cheese Straws (also known as Cheese Twists)
Puff pastry cheese straws (or cheese twists) are the easiest appetiser you can make – they require just four ingredients (five if you count the egg) and take minutes to prepare. Plus, they can be frozen, and baked when needed.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 250kcal
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 2 square puff pastry sheet (25 x 25cm / 10 x 10"), thawed see note 1
- 1 egg mixed with water
- 170 grams / 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese see note 2
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan forced)
- In a small bowl, mix the dried Italian herbs and red chili powder together. Set aside.
- Place the puff pastry on baking paper / parchment paper.
- Whisk the egg with a tablespoon of water, and then brush the beaten egg on the puff pastry with a pastry brush.
- Sprinkle half the grated cheddar cheese over the puff pastry sheet followed by half of the herbs and spices mixture.
- Place a piece of parchment paper over the cheese mixture, and use a rolling pin or your hands to press the cheese into the puff pastry.
- Cut the pastry into 2 cm (about 1 inch) wide strips. This will make about 12 - 15 cheese straws. You can adjust the size depending on how thick or thin you prefer the cheese straws. It is possible to cut the cheese straws in half, to make shorter cheese straws.
- Twist the strips slightly from both ends and place onto an oven tray lined with baking paper. Repeat until all the strips have been twisted to make cheese straws.
- Lightly brush the twists with a little more of the egg mixture.
- Place the cheese straws into the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Baking time can vary from one puff pastry brand to another, so always look at packet instructions to be on the safe side.
- Once the cheese straws are golden brown, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.
- The cheese straws can be kept in an airtight storage container for 3 – 4 days. However, make sure they are completely before putting them in a container, as they can turn soggy otherwise.
- This recipe will yield around 12 - 15 cheese straws depending on how thick or thin you prefer the cheese straws. Nutrition is based on the recipe yielding 15 cheese straws, and 1 cheese straw per serving.
Notes
- The puff pastry in Australia comes in square sheets that are 25 x 25cm / 10 x 10" squares. Use whatever puff pastry sheets are available in your part of the world and eyeball the grated cheese amount. In case the puff pastry is available in a slab or block, you may need to defrost (if frozen) and roll it out to the desired thickness. Make sure to thaw the frozen puff pastry by following the instructions at the back of the packet.
- My preferred cheese for these puff pastry cheese stews is cheddar cheese. You can also use parmesan cheese or swiss cheese or mix a variety of cheeses together such as cheddar cheese with parmesan. It is possible to use the supermarket shredded cheese, but I prefer to grate the cheese myself as the flavor is better, and it also melts better. The small holes of a box grater can be used or the shredder blade on a food processor
Nutrition
Calories: 250kcal
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