Cheese Twists: The ultimate game-day snack with friends

Method

• Heat the oven to 200°C.
• Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
• Dust the counter with ¼ cup of cheese.
• Unfold or unroll 1 of the puff pastry sheets onto the cheese. If the pastry isn’t quite thawed, don’t force it. Let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes, and then try unrolling or unfolding again.
• Sprinkle ¼ cup of the cheese over the puff pastry.
• Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry out until ½ cm thick. This presses the cheese into the pastry and also smooths out any seams or wrinkles.
• Fold the pastry in half.
• Sprinkle the pastry with ¼ cup of cheese.
• Roll the pastry out again until ½ cm thick.
• The exact dimensions of the puff pastry don’t matter. Aim for one side to be about 15-25 cm long to make puff pastry straws.
• Using a knife and cutting straight down (do not saw), cut the pastry into long strips about 2.5 cm wide. Again, dimensions don’t really matter and come down to personal preference.
• Transfer each strip to one of the baking sheets, spaced 2 cm or so apart. As you set them down, twist the ends in opposite directions to give the straws a spiralled look. If they start to untwist when you let go, gently press the ends into the parchment to make them stick.
• Chill for at least 10 minutes or up to an hour. This helps firm up the straws and give them a better puff in the oven. While one sheet is in the fridge, prepare the rest of the straws using the second sheet of puff pastry and the remaining cheese.
• Bake the first sheet of cheese straws until they are puffed and crispy, feel dry to the touch, and are deep golden brown (15-25 minutes depending on size). Begin checking thicker straws after about 15 minutes, and longer straws after 20 minutes.
• Let cool until the straws are firm enough to lift from the sheet without bending. Transfer to a cooling rack or serving plate. Meanwhile, bake the second baking sheet of cheese straws.
• Serve the cheese straws warm, or let them cool and then keep them in an airtight container until ready to serve. Puff pastry straws are best served the same day they are made.