Cheese Straws

Equipment

• Mixing bowl
• Grater
• Rolling pin
• Baking tray
• Parchment paper or silicone mat
• Knife or pastry cutter
• Oven

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika (optional, for color and mild spice)
• ¼ teaspoon mustard powder (optional, enhances cheese flavor)

Wet Ingredients:

• 100g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 cup (100–120g) strong cheddar cheese, finely grated
• 1–2 tablespoons cold water (as needed)

Optional Add-ons:

• Pinch of cayenne pepper (for spicy cheese straws)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder (for extra flavor)
• Sesame seeds or nigella seeds (for topping)

Instructions

1. Preparing the Dough (Intensity: Medium)

1. Start by sifting the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and mustard powder into a large mixing bowl. This ensures the dry ingredients are evenly distributed, which helps the cheese straws bake uniformly.
2. Next, add the cold cubed butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. This step is important because it creates the flaky, crisp texture of the final product.
3. Now add the grated cheddar cheese. Mix gently so the cheese is evenly coated with flour and butter. The mixture should start to look slightly clumpy.
4. Slowly add cold water, one tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together. Be careful not to overwork it. The dough should be firm but pliable, not sticky.

2. Chilling the Dough (Intensity: Easy)

1. Wrap the dough in cling film or cover it in a bowl. Place it in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes.
2. This step helps:
3. Firm up the butter
4. Improve texture
5. Make rolling easier
6. Prevent spreading during baking
7. Although optional, chilling significantly improves the final crispness.

3. Rolling and Shaping (Intensity: Medium to High Control)

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F) .
2. Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the chilled dough to about 5–7 mm thickness . Try to keep it even so the cheese straws bake consistently.
3. Now cut the dough into long strips, about:
4. 8–10 cm long
5. 0.5–1 cm wide
6. You can also twist the strips slightly for a traditional “cheese straw” shape or leave them straight for a modern look.
7. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving a small gap between each piece.

4. Baking (Intensity: Easy Monitoring)

1. Bake the cheese straws in the preheated oven for 12–18 minutes .
2. Watch carefully during the last few minutes:
3. At 12 minutes: soft golden color, slightly tender
4. At 15 minutes: crisp edges forming
5. At 18 minutes: deep golden, fully crisp
6. Avoid overbaking, as cheese can turn bitter if burned.

5. Cooling and Finishing

1. Remove the tray from the oven and let the cheese straws cool for at least 10 minutes.
2. During cooling:
3. They will firm up
4. Become extra crispy
5. Develop deeper flavor
6. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container.

Nutrition

Calories: 180–220 kcal · Protein: 5–7g · Fat: 12–16g Saturated · Carbohydrates: 12–15g · Saturated Fat: 7–9g · Fiber: 0.5–1g · Sugar: <1g · Sodium: Moderate (varies with cheese and salt) admin Content published under this byline is