Cheese Straws

I decided to try making cheese straws for a neighborhood party. First time making it. They were actually pretty simple to make and didn't require many ingredients. I looked at the recipes my Ina Garten and Martha Stewart and combined some of both (see their recipes below).  Made these in the morning and they were still good in the afternoon!  I didn't have any shredded cheese, but next time I do, I will try using that!

Here are some tips I learned:
1. Best if puff pastry is really cold
2. Thinner you cut the puff pastries, and the tighter you roll them, the crispier they will be
3. Cool the straws on a wire rack and not just on a pan or baking sheet or else they might get soggy.

Here's what I did:
Ingredients:

• 1 box of Peppridge Farm Puff Pastry
• Salt, Pepper, Cayenne pepper
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Dried Thyme

Directions:
1. Thaw puff pastry for 40-45 min.
2. Pre-Heat oven to 400 degrees (I set it at 400, so the convection oven was at 375)
3. Unfold and Lay the 1st puff pastry sheet on a floured cutting board.  Roll with rolling pin to stretch it out a little bit. Put the 2nd puff pastry sheet back in the fridge while you work with the first one. 
4. Brush entire sheet with a egg+1 tablespoon water wash.
5. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper
6. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, and dried thyme on top
7. Press down so that all the seasoning is combined with the puff pastry (have also seen some roll the
8. Cut the puff pastry into 11 strips (you can do it thinner or wider if you want. Thinner you cut, the crispier they will be). I used a knife, but you can also use a pizza cuter
9. Twist and roll each strip and lay on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicon baking mat. If you have leftover parmesan cheese/herbs on the cutting board, you can sprinkle that on top of the twisted straws
10. Repeat steps 3-9 for the 2nd sheet of puff pastry. Seasoning and twisting the puff pastry took me 45 min.
11. Bake for 14 min and then flip the straws over to bake an additional 2 min.
12. Cool on wire rack.

Ina Garten's Cheese Straw Recipe
Ingredients:
2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry (such as Pepperidge Farm), defrosted overnight in the refrigerator

Flour, for dusting

1 extra-large egg

1 tablespoon water

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions:

·        Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

·        Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it is 10- by 12-inches. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the surface of the pastry. Sprinkle each sheet evenly with 1⁄4 cup of the Parmesan, 1⁄2 cup of the Gruyère, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the thyme, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt, and some pepper. With the rolling pin, lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cut each sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza wheel into 11 or 12 strips. Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

·        Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Turn each straw and bake for another 2 minutes. Don't over bake or the cheese will burn. Cool and serve at room temperature.

 

Martha Stewart's Cheese Straw Recipe

 

Ingredients:

·        All-purpose flour, for surface

·        1 package (14 ounces) puff pastry, preferably Dufour

·        1 large egg, lightly beaten

·        1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/3 cup)

·        1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

·        1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

·        1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

 

Directions:

 

1.      Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

2.     On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll puff pastry into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. With the long side facing you, lightly brush bottom half of rectangle with some of the beaten egg. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan and the salt on top half. Fold bottom half over top half. Gently roll dough to seal.

3.     Cut rectangle lengthwise into thirds. (You should have three 2-by-16-inch strips.) Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan on 1 strip, poppy seeds on another, and cayenne on remaining strip. Cut each strip lengthwise into eight 1/4-by-16-inch strips.

4.     Transfer strips to baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Working with 1 strip at a time, hold each end with your fingers, and carefully twist strip in opposite directions, forming a spiral. Press ends of strips against parchment to prevent unraveling. Freeze or refrigerate until strips are very firm and cold, about 15 minutes.

5.     Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until straws are golden brown and cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer straws to wire racks, and let cool.