Sometimes the easiest appetizers are the ones that end up being the biggest hit at a holiday gathering. These four-ingredient Puff Pastry Parmesan Cheese Straws are no exception: crispy and flaky, savory and delicious, they are the perfect addition to any holiday buffet!
Puff pastry consists of many thin layers of dough and butter. Once it comes in contact with the hot oven, the butter in the pastry puff creates steam and that steam makes those layers puff up and get nice and crispy. The pairing of crispy dough and grated sharp cheese is a match made in heaven.
Besides enjoying these Puff Pastry Parmesan Cheese Straws as a snack, these easy appetizers can also be served with a creamy soup or broken up and tossed into a salad. If you like a little heat, add some cayenne pepper along with the cheese for an extra kick.
How to enjoy the puff pastry Parmesan cheese straws
These are perfect to enjoy with a glass of chilled wine or with an aperitivo before your meal. If you are entertaining, you can serve these puff pastry straws instead of crackers as part of a simple charcuterie board and next to your favorite cheeses, olives, nuts, and other nibbles!
Ingredients for the Puff Pastry Parmesan Cheese Straws
If you have a box of puff pastry in the freezer, then you are all set to make this recipe the next day. All you need to do is remember to defrost the pastry overnight!
- Puff pastry: use a good quality, butter puff pastry, as it makes all the difference. I used Fillo Factory Puff Pastry for this recipe
- Egg: mixed with some water to make a light egg wash, to help the cheese adhere to the dough
- Cheese: Parmesan cheese (which is aged and naturally dry), or, Pecorino Romano (also, a low-moisture cheese)
- Fresh Herb: I like some finely minced fresh rosemary, but fresh thyme would be great as well
- Optional Toppings: white and black sesame seeds and coarse sea salt, or, any sea salt blend
What makes these Puff Pastry Parmesan Cheese Straws so easy to make
- Handful of Ingredients: these easy cheese straws have only four ingredients: puff pastry, cheese, egg and rosemary
- Have fun with the shape: you can make them short or long, straight or twisted, thin & delicate, or, slightly thicker
- Puff Pastry: you can’t beat the convenience of store-bought puff pastry. It comes in handy for easy appetizers and quick desserts
- Choose your add-ons: A favorite addition is 1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper. For a milder version, add a little sweet paprika.
- Prep them ahead of time: you can easily form the straws and store them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, until you’re ready to bake them
How to make them in four easy steps
- Roll out the puff pastry, brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle half the pastry with grated parmesan cheese and fresh rosemary
2. Lift the other half of the pastry over the first half, brush the top again with the egg wash and sprinkle with the sesame seeds
3. Cut the dough vertically into 1/4″ strips and, holding both ends, twist in the opposite direction. Place on lined baking sheets and chill
4. Bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven, and allow them to cool before serving
WORKING WITH PUFF PASTRY – USEFUL TIPS
- Keep your puff pastry very cold: the thawed puff pastry is ready to use when pliable enough to work with it. Do not let it come to room temperature
- Use a very hot oven: preheat the oven to 400°F. Puff pastry will not puff properly at a lower temperature
- Roll it out gently: when rolling out the dough, start from the middle and do not press too much on the dough so you do not compress it
- Chill again: once the straws are formed, return to the refrigerator to chill the puff pastry before baking
How to store and how to make them ahead of time
Once you make the cheese straws, you can store at room temperature in an air-tight container for a couple of days, then in the freezer for up to a month. They might get a little softer, but a few minutes in a hot oven will crisp them up again. You can also form the straws, freeze them and then bake them without thawing, adding a couple more minutes to their cooking time.
This recipe is in collaboration with Fillo Factory. You can find organic puff pastry and filo dough at Whole Foods, Fresh Market and several other local stores. I love the quality of the Fillo Factory products and I always make sure to stash a couple of boxes in the freezer!
- ½ box frozen puff pastry, defrosted overnight in the refrigerator (I used Fillo Factory puff pastry)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
- --- sesame seeds (white and black) for topping15
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator, where it has been thawing overnight. Unfold the first sheet gently and place the long side of it in front of you on a lightly floured surface. (Return the second sheet of puff pastry to the box and refrigerate or freeze again). Lightly dust the top of the pastry with some flour.
- Starting from the center, gently roll out the puff pastry into a rough 12"x16" rectangle.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg with a one TBSP. of water to make an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, spread a thin layer of the egg wash over the puff pastry. Sprinkle half of the pastry with grated Parmesan cheese and the fresh rosemary. Lift the other half of the pastry over the first half and gently press the dough down with a rolling pin very gently to enclose completely the cheese. Gently lift the dough and stretch it carefully towards it's right and left sides.
- Brush the top surface again with the egg wash and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
- Using a long ruler and a sharp chef's knife (or a pizza cutter), cut the dough vertically (without dragging the knife), into long ¼" strips.
- Lift each strip up and place it on the prepared sheet. Hold each end of the strip and twist it into the opposite direction. Gently press the end of each strip down into the baking sheet, so it keeps its shape while baking. Continue with the rest of the strips, twisting them and placing them on the baking sheets.
- At this point, the puff pastry has probably become warmer, pop it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill before baking. This will allow them to puff nicely and keep their shape while baking.
- Bake for 12 -14 minutes, until lightly browned and puffed.
- Cool on a wire rack completely before serving.
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