Cheese Straws 7 Ways

By lorik

Ingredients

• Basic Recipe:
• 1 17 -ounce package frozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Details

Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

Unfold the puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water; generously brush on the pastry sheets (reserve the remaining egg wash).

Combine the cheddar, parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over 1 pastry sheet, then place the other pastry sheet on top, egg wash-side down, lining up the edges. Lightly dust the pastry with flour; firmly press the top sheet down, then roll out the sandwiched pastry sheets into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the puff pastry rectangle in half lengthwise. Cut each half crosswise into 18 strips. Twist each strip a few times and arrange 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Brush with the reserved egg wash. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to 1 day.

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Bake the cheese straws, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until puffed and golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Slide the straws (on the parchment) onto a rack and let cool completely.

Variations:

Provolone-Olive:
Brush only 1 pastry sheet with egg wash in step 1, brush the other with olive tapenade. Replace the cheddar with aged provolone.

Caraway-Havarti:
Replace the cheddar with havarti and reduce the Parmesan to 1/4 cup. Add 3/4 tsp ground allspice to the cheese mixture. Sprinkle the cheese straws with caraway seeds and pepper before baking.

Truffle-Thyme:
Replace the cheddar with truffled pecorino. Add 1 1/2 tsp chopped thyme to the cheese mixture.

Asiago-Peppercorn:
Replace the cheddar with asiago and reduce the parmesan to 1/4 cup. Sprinkle the cheese straws with fennel seeds and crushed pink peppercorns before baking.

Pepper jack-Chile:
Replace the cheddar with 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack and omit the parmesan. Add 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder and 1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder to the cheese mixture.

Smoky Gruyere:
Replace the cheddar with gruyere. Add 1 tsp smoked paprika to the cheese mixture.