Tasty Cheese Straws (Puff Pastry Twists)

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Quick & Easy Cheese Straws

These cheese straws are seriously flaky, cheesy and so tasty. Follow my recipe on how to make them, you’ll only need 4 ingredients!

If you love cheese, raise your hand!!! These flaky and crispy puff pastry cheese straws are just as tasty as they look. They’re made with cheddar cheese and are baked in the oven for only 20 minutes!

They’re honestly so good, and this recipe is completely beginner friendly too. I use readymade puff pastry, so all there is to do is assemble and twist – the hard work is already done for you!

I love having this snack whenever I’m peckish, but I also find that they make the perfect party appetisers and they’re great for dipping in soups.

Recipe Ingredients

Below are four ingredients I used to make this recipe:

• Puff pastry: I use pre-rolled readymade puff pastry that’s perfectly buttery, flaky and crispy. I avoid getting a block of pastry as I have to roll it out evenly myself.
• Cheddar cheese: I like to get the pre-grated pack to save me time.
• Egg: For the egg wash, simply beat the egg and brush it over the pastry.
• Black pepper: For a little extra depth of flavour.

Which Cheese Is Best To Use?

I love using mature cheddar cheese when making cheese straws, it provides the best flavour and I always have some around! If you like strong cheese flavours, then you can go for extra mature cheddar cheese or mild cheddar for less of an intense taste.

Of course, you can make homemade cheese straws using an entirely different cheese. Parmesan, Red Leicester and Gouda are all great hard cheeses to try.

How To Make Puff Pastry Cheese Straws (Cheese Twists)

Here’s a summary of how I make these puff pastry cheese twists. You can get the full recipe instructions on the recipe card below:

Step One:

I unroll the puff pastry sheet and sprinkle cheddar cheese and black pepper on one half of the puff pastry sheet.

Note: I always leave the puff pastry sheet to thaw for about 10 minutes before starting this recipe. To do this, simply take it out of the fridge and leave it to rest at room temperature.

Step Two:

I fold the pastry over and gently press it down with my hands. Occasionally, I also use a rolling pin to help bind the layers together.

Step Three:

The cheese-filled pastry is cut into strips 1.5cm apart. Once cut, I pinch the two opposite ends of one strip and twist in the opposite direction 3 to 4 times. Then I place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. This is repeated for all strips.

Last but not least, I coat each strip with an egg wash and place it in the oven for 20 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

My Top Tips

Don’t skip egg washing the pastry before you place it into the oven. It creates a beautifully golden brown and shiny appearance which makes the cheese twists look so tasty.

The longer you bake the pastry the crispier they become. If you like soft cheese straws, then bake them until they’re starting to brown. If you like your cheese twists really crispy, then bake them until they’re golden brown and the pastry texture is very flaky.

I like to use a pizza cutter when slicing the pastry into strips, it makes the process so much easier and creates straight and clean-cut lines. You can use a knife too, but make sure it’s sharp to avoid tugging the pastry and stretching it out.

The cheese twists in my recipe are quite long, if you want to make them smaller or into bite-sized pieces it’s actually quite simple. Once the pastry is twisted, use a sharp knife to cut the pastry into smaller sizes, egg wash the pastry then bake it in the oven.

How To Serve Cheese Straws

There are so many yummy sides to serve alongside cheese straws, my go-to pairings are my smooth smoked salmon pate and tuna pate. I also like to wrap some caramelised red onion chutney around the twists, but you can also add it to the filling too.

You can also serve this with a creamy garlic dip, omg this combo tastes amazing! FYI, these ideas also go well with breadsticks:

How To Store & Freeze

I like to keep my puff pastry cheese twists for no longer than 2 days as it starts to lose its freshness. Once the twists have cooled down, I place them in an airtight container and store it at room temperature.

These cheese straws can be frozen, which is why they make a great freezer snack. Though, you’ll have to freeze them before you cook them!

To freeze, once the puff pastry is filled with cheese, sliced and twisted, simply cover them with another layer of parchment paper. Put them in the freezer for around 3 to 4 hours or until hard and firm. Once firm, place them in a freezer safe bag or container. All you have to do when you’re ready is take them out of the freezer and bake!

More Puff Pastry & Cheesy Recipes

Have left over pastry? Why not make these delicious recipes below:

• Pizza Rolls
• Mini Sausage Rolls
• Cheese Scones
• Nutella puff pastry twists
• Easy Cinnamon swirls
• Giant Sausage Roll

Tasty Cheese Straws (Puff Pastry Twists)

Michelle

Here's how to make easy cheese straws with cheddar cheese. It's made with readymade puff pastry and it's twisted to perfection!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 16 Makes

Calories 184 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 375 g Puff Pastry
• 200 g Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Black Pepper

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C Fan, gas mark 5).
• Unroll the puff pastry sheet and sprinkle cheddar cheese and black pepper on one half of the pastry sheet.
  375 g Puff Pastry, 200 g Cheddar Cheese, 1 tsp Black Pepper
• Fold your pastry over and gently press it down with a rolling pin (or your hands).
• Cut the cheese filled pastry into strips 1.5cm apart. Once cut, pinch the two opposite ends of one strip and twist in the opposite direction 3 to 4 times and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat for all pastry strips.
• Coat each strip with an egg wash and place it in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
  1 Egg

Video

Notes

Recipe Variations

Cheese: Instead of cheddar cheese, sometimes I like to use parmesan or mozzarella. I find that grated parmesan is a lot easier to twist without the cheese filling falling.

Add More Filling: You can add bacon strips to this recipe or spread some pesto or mustard over the pastry. Instead of black pepper you can try oregano, really the options are endless.

Change the size to change the texture: The thinner the strips you cut, the crisper they become. If you want your cheese straws less crispy then increase the size (in width).

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.001gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 144mgPotassium: 29mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 141IUCalcium: 93mgIron: 1mg

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