Easy Cheese Straws With Shortcrust Pastry

Cheese Straws laid out on a newspaper background.

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5 from 1 vote

Easy Cheese Straws With Shortcrust Pastry

Easy shortcrust pastry cheese straws that are crisp, crumbly and of course seriously cheesy.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Chilling time30

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: British

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: cheese straws

Calories: 69kcal

Author: Helen

Equipment

Ingredients

60 g salted butter fridge temperature cut into cubes (Note 1)
90 g plain/ all-purpose flour (Note 2)
1 egg yolk and white separated
50 g Parmesan cheese finely grated with two tablespoons set aside for the topping (Note 3)
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp mustard powder (Note 4)
1 tsp dried chives (Note 5)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine the cold butter cubes and flour. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the egg yolk, Parmesan cheese (except for the 2 tablespoons set aside for topping), ground nutmeg, mustard powder, and dried chives to the bowl. Mix until well combined and use your hands to bring the dough together into a ball.
Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (Note 6)
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lightly flour a clean work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Roll the dough into a rectangular shape, about 6mm / ¼ inch thick.
Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into thin strips, about 1.5cm or ½ inch wide and 10cm/4 inches long.
Carefully transfer the cut cheese straws onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving a small gap between each straw to allow for spreading during baking.
Brush the tops of the cheese straws with egg white to give them a golden colour and a nice shine.
Sprinkle on the extra Parmesan.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes until golden.
Remove and cool on the tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve the cheese straws as a delicious snack or appetiser or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Notes

Butter: Should be cold. This makes the pastry easier to handle and gives it a delicious flaky texture. You can use unsalted butter instead of salted.
Flour: For gluten-free cheese straws swap regular plain flour for gluten-free.
Cheese: Hard, nutty, strongly flavoured cheeses work best. Substitute Parmesan for Pecorino or a hard mature cheddar.
Mustard powder: Swapping this for fresh mustard is not advisable as it will alter the consistency of the pastry.
Seasoning: Feel free to swap out the mustard powder, nutmeg and dried chives for other dried herbs and spices.
Refrigerating the shortcrust pastry: This is an important step that prevents the pastry from spreading in the oven and makes it easier to form into straws.

Storage instructions:

You can store the baked cheese straws in an airtight tin or plastic container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. To freeze, place them on a tray or plate with space between them to prevent them from sticking together and put them in the freezer. Then transfer to a plastic container or freezer bag once frozen.

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