Serves 16 large straws or 22 small
Ingredients:
Method:
- 150g Davidstow Cornish Crackler cheddar, finely grated
- 200g Plain flour
- Smoked paprika (or spice of choice)
- 100g Butter, plus extra for greasing
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Free-range egg yolk
Method:
- Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 7, 220°C (425°F).
- Lightly grease a large baking sheet and cover it with greaseproof paper.
- Put the cheese into a mixing bowl.
- Sift in the flour and add a sprinkling of smoked paprika.
- Add some freshly-ground black pepper and mix.
- Cut the butter into little cubes and rub them into the mixture with your fingertips.
- When the butter has almost disappeared into the flour and you have a crumbly mixture, stir in the egg yolk with a butter knife.
- Gather the pastry into a ball of dough. Dust the work surface with plenty of flour.
- Carefully roll out the cheese dough into a rough square.
- t should be about 5mm thick.
- Neaten the edges with the side of your hand.
- With a sharp knife, cut the square into strips, then each strip into fingers and sprinkle with poppy seeds if required.
- Gently lift them onto the lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 8 minutes.
- The cheese straws should be a very pale golden brown.
- They are fragile when they come out of the oven, so leave them to sit for 5 minutes before you try to move them.
- Then carefully lift up the baking parchment and transfer everything to a wire rack to cool for a few more minutes.
Recipe and photo credit by- Davidstow Cheddar
