Simple cheese straws recipe

This simple recipe for tasty cheese straws is easy to make and the results are even easier to eat.

Put a tray of cheese straws out at any time of the day and we can guarantee they'll be gone in a flash. Utterly moreish, these flaky, cheesy nibbles use Lancashire cheese but if you don't have any, a good mature Cheddar or even Stilton would work. The key is picking a really full-flavoured cheese. The addition of smoked paprika pepper gives them a twist but if the flavour isn't one for you, you could  switch it out for herbs or coarse black pepper.

Ingredients

• 100g plain flour
• Pinch salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika pepper
• 50g butter or margarine
• 50g Lancashire cheese, grated
• 1 egg yolk

Method

1. Sift the flour into a bowl with the salt and paprika pepper.
2. Rub in the butter or margarine until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the cheese.
3. Add the egg yolk and then bind together, adding a little cold water to form a stiff dough.
4. Roll out the dough thinly on a floured board and cut into 7.5cm strips. Cut each strip into thin straws.
5. Arrange the straws on a greased baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
6. Leave the straws to firm up on the baking tray and when transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Top tip for making cheese straws

You can use the same pastry to make 12 tartlets. Bake blind for 10-15 minutes then cool and fill each tartlet with 75g chopped prawns mixed with 175g cream or cottage cheese.

Can I freeze these cheese straws before baking?

Yes. Rather than baking these cheese straws and storing them, it's better to prepare the dough and then freeze the straws before you bake them. Then you can store them for up to a month. Defrost them overnight before baking.

Do cheese straws need to be refrigerated?

No, just store them in an airtight container in a a cool dry place and they will last several days. This will also keep them as nice and crisp as possible.

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