Simple cheese straws

Name: Simple cheese straws
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Makes about 12 straws
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 40g butter, chilled and cut into little cubes, plus a little extra for greasing; 80g plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting; 60g mature Cheddar, grated, plus extra for sprinkling; 1 large free-range egg, beaten

Easy
December 2008

Easy
December 2008

Makes about 12 straws
Takes 25 minutes to make and 12-15 minutes to cook, plus cooling

This scrumptious cheese straw recipe makes the perfect nibble for your Christmas cocktail party and they are easy to make so you can get your children involved too.

Vegetarian recipes

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Ingredients

40g butter, chilled and cut into little cubes, plus a little extra for greasing
80g plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting
60g mature Cheddar, grated, plus extra for sprinkling
1 large free-range egg, beaten

40g butter, chilled and cut into little cubes, plus a little extra for greasing
80g plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting
60g mature Cheddar, grated, plus extra for sprinkling
1 large free-range egg, beaten

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets with a little butter. Sift the flour into a large bowl, then rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the grated cheese and mix together.
Add half the beaten egg and stir into the flour until the mixture starts to come together, then use your hands to work it into a ball.
Dust a work surface with a little flour and roll out the pastry into a rectangle, about 3mm thick, using a rolling pin. Cut widthways into straws, about 5mm wide.
Carefully put the straws on the baking sheets, leaving a little space between them. Sprinkle with extra cheese and bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden. Cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheets, then carefully pick them up with a palette knife and put them on a cooling rack. Eat warm or cool and store in an airtight container.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets with a little butter. Sift the flour into a large bowl, then rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the grated cheese and mix together.
Add half the beaten egg and stir into the flour until the mixture starts to come together, then use your hands to work it into a ball.
Dust a work surface with a little flour and roll out the pastry into a rectangle, about 3mm thick, using a rolling pin. Cut widthways into straws, about 5mm wide.
Carefully put the straws on the baking sheets, leaving a little space between them. Sprinkle with extra cheese and bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden. Cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheets, then carefully pick them up with a palette knife and put them on a cooling rack. Eat warm or cool and store in an airtight container.