Puff Pastry Cheese Straws with White Cheddar & Black Pepper

Whether you serve them as an easy appetizer or alongside your favorite bowl of soup, these puff pastry cheese straws with white cheddar and black pepper are bound to be your new favorite! Flaky layers of puff pastry, melted cheese, and the mild kick of freshly ground pepper...Need I go on?

Would you believe something as glorious as these puff pastry cheese straws can be made with just five ingredients?

Jump to Recipe

If you're making cheese straws using puff pastry, you can make things as simple or as complicated as you want. Add a bunch of different cheeses, veggies, spices, whatever you'd like.

For this particular puff pastry recipe, we're keeping things pretty simple. But the result is nothing short of incredible! 

Here's what you need to make these cheesy twists all for yourself!

Ingredients

• 1 10x10 inch sheet of puff pastry defrosted in the fridge overnight (you want it cold but pliable!)
• White cheddar cheese, shredded from the block
• One egg and one tablespoon of water to make an egg wash (more on what an egg wash is in a minute)
• Black pepper (and a pinch of salt if you'd like)
• A bit of flour for rolling the pastry 

Now back to that egg wash...

What is an egg wash for pastry?

An egg wash is a mix of egg and a liquid (typically good old fashioned water or milk). When you brush it on pastry (using a pastry brush like this) before baking it, it helps it hold its shape, it seals the edges, and it even helps it get shiny, golden, and crispy!

Puff pastry cheese straw tips

The night before you make your cheese straws, place one roll (10 x 10-inch) of puff pastry dough in the fridge to defrost. When you're ready to make your twists, the dough should still be cold to the touch, but you should also be able to unroll and manipulate it. 

How to make puff pastry cheese straws with white cheddar and black pepper

• When you're ready to make the puff pastry cheese straws, preheat your oven to 375F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Make sure your oven rack is in the middle of the oven. 
• Next, you'll make your egg wash. Beat one egg in a bowl with one tablespoon of water until it's mixed well and pale yellow in color. 
• Set that aside, and grate your white cheddar cheese from the block. 
• Measure out half a teaspoon (or more for an extra peppery result!) of freshly ground black pepper. (On my pepper grinder, this was about 12 twists). 
• Sprinkle your counter with a small handful of flour and then sprinkle ⅓ cup of the shredded cheddar on top of the flour.
• Next, use your hands to gently unroll the sheet of puff pastry onto it the flour/cheese mixture. Brush the whole sheet with the egg wash. (Set aside the remaining egg wash, you'll use it again in a minute)
• Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on the top half of the puff pastry, then sprinkle the black pepper evenly over top (and a pinch of salt, if using).
• Then, pull the bottom half of the puff pastry up over the top half, folding it in half. Now take your rolling pin, and gently roll the folded puff pastry until it's about twice as big as it was before.
• Now, using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut the puff pastry into 8-10 strips. (If you make thicker strips, they'll need to bake for a few more minutes)
• Grab the top and bottom of each strip, and gently twist (It's okay if these look messy, there's no need for perfection with these guys!) Place it on the parchment paper. Repeat for all of the strips. Now take your remaining egg wash and brush each twist again. Add another few grinds of black pepper too!
• Now, bake your puff pastry cheese straws for 20-24 minutes, or until they're flaky and golden or cooked to your liking. 
• They're best served hot and fresh!

Anything else you should know

Go ahead and eat these up all on their own. Or, dip them in your favorite sauce or dip. Marinara or perhaps my asiago balsamic aioli sauce? You can also dip them in tomato soup (or any soup really!) instead of grilled cheese...yum!!!

I mentioned they're best served hot, and that's true. That being said, I kept a container of these on my counter for five days and they still taste great at the end! I've eaten more puff pastry cheese sticks in the past few weeks than I care to admit...(hint ALL of them!)

Hope you find these as tasty and addictive as I do! They'll make a great addition to your holiday menu. 

XO,

C

PS. If your pack of puff pastry came with two sheets, here are two vegetarian pot pies you could make with the leftovers:

BROCCOLI CHEDDAR VEGETARIAN PUFF PASTRY POT PIE

VEGETARIAN POT PIE WITH MUSHROOMS, CARROTS, & PUFF PASTRY CRUST

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