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Cheesy, herby, crispy Gruyere and thyme cheese straws for the win! Store-bought puff pastry transforms into a perfect appetizer with a glass of wine or beer or a cocktail or any drink you want, OR EVEN BETTER, a perfect dipper for a bowl of soup. Yes, please.
These can be a bit tricky to make: the first time I made these, I had a mini (okay, maybe major) meltdown because after everything including following the recipe instructions for how to bake, I couldn’t get them off the baking sheet. I had made two batches with different flavors for a party and basically had to peel off what I could salvage and pick parchment paper off the back of the tiny pieces I managed to break off. Still delicious, but not what I had in mind.
A couple tips from my cheese straw failures:
- Keep the puff pastry cold, returning it to the fridge or freezer any time you need to re-chill it.
- Try to keep the cheese tucked into your dough when rolling and don’t try to sprinkle the all the extra cheese that falls out of after twisting all over because it will turn into a cheesy glue that will probably make you want to cry when you’re trying to get your straws off your baking pan. You can definitely sprinkle some of the strays on top because make sure you get them onto your twists versus all over the baking pan.
- Most importantly, if you have silicone baking mats (e.g. Silpat)*, USE THEM! If you don’t have them, but have ever wanted to buy one and/or you want to make these, now’s the time to get one. These babies stick like you wouldn’t believe. Silpat sells silicone mats in different sizes, so you can pick the one (or ones!) you think will be most useful for you.
- Let them cool to warm or room temperature on the baking sheets before attempting to remove. The pastry will crisp up and the cheese will harden and it will be easy to get them off.
These fill all my crispy, cheesy fantasies.
Side note: Did you guys know Trader Joe’s sells cheese bites that are basically just the melted crispy cheese edges from an oozy grilled cheese…or these!
Gruyere and Thyme Cheese Straws
- Yield: 12 cheese straws 1x
Description
Crispy, herby cheese straws with store-bought puff pastry!
Ingredients
- One 14-ounce box all-butter puff pastry (preferably Dufour)*, defrosted in the refrigerator OR one sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry
- Flour, for dusting
- 1 large egg, beaten with a splash of water until completely homogenous
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly ground Parmesan
- 1 cup (4 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats (preferably) or with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan, Gruyere, thyme and pepper.
- Lay a piece of parchment on your work surface and lightly flour; turn the puff pastry dough out and roll into a 10 x 12-inch rectangle. Brush the surface with the egg wash. Sprinkle the cheese mixture evenly over the surface. With the rolling pin, lightly roll over the toppings to press into the surface of the dough. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes before cutting. Cut the dough into 12 equal-sized strips of dough. Working with one piece at a time, transfer the dough strip to the prepared baking sheets; twist each strip into a spiral. Repeat with the remaining dough. Refrigerate the strips for another 15 minutes before baking.
- When ready to bake, brush the remaining egg wash over the cheese straws. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Flip each cheese straw over and bake for another 2 minutes. Cool and serve at room temperature.
Notes
Inspiration: Cheese Straws on foodnetwork.com
- Category: Appetizers
Find it online: https://nevernothungry.com/gruyere-and-thyme-cheese-straws/
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