These thin cheese straws are perfect for those who want a light canape to serve your guests, rather than a larger cheese straw.
This cheese straw recipe produces a smaller version of the original and is a tasty update of an old favourite from Woman’s Weekly’s April 1912 feature titled ‘cheese dishes for menfolk’ – although of course this time we would prefer they are for everyone!
Perfect for little children who only want to eat a small portion of everything.
Ingredients
- 175g (6oz) plain flour
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- Good pinch of salt
- 90g (3oz) butter, diced
- 90g (3oz) mature Cheddar, or Parmesan, finely grated
- 1 medium egg yolk
- 2 baking trays, lined with non-stick paper
- If you want to make simple cheese straws then use our main recipe
- .
Method
Set the oven to Gas Mark 6 or 200°C. Sift the flour, mustard and salt into a large mixing bowl. Rub in the butter, and then stir in the cheese. (Or put everything in the food processor.)
Mix to a fairly firm dough with the egg yolk and 4 tsps water. Knead to a round on a lightly floured surface and roll out to 5mm (¼in) thick. Cut into straws about 15cm (6in) long. Lay them on baking trays. Re-roll the trimmings and make some more straws.
Bake for 12-15 mins until light golden. Leave on the tray to firm, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Serve with a dip made with crème fraîche and smoked paprika, if you like. They will store in an airtight tin for a few days.
Top tip for making Dainty cheese straws
Woman's Weekly said at the time: 'It's nice to have a few dainty dishes that are inexpensive and which provide a change from the usual fare.'
