Cheese straws

Name: Cheese straws
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 18
Ingredients: 200 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting; ½ tsp sea salt flakes; 125 g unsalted butter, frozen for 1 hour; 150 g Gruyère, grated; 1 British Blacktail Medium Egg yolk; 1 tsp milk; ½ tbsp freshly ground black pepper

Manon Lagrève says: “You can’t beat a crisp, savoury cheese straw. They’re so easy to make. Before starting, make sure everything is cold – and I mean really cold. Optimal flakiness requires the butter to be frozen for at least an hour before starting, and the dough should be chilled twice before baking. As for the cheese, you can use anything you like, but Gruyère always brings that punchy, creamy tang – it’s a cheese that does all the work for you!”

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Makes18
CourseSnack
Prepare25 mins
Cook20 mins
Total time45 mins
Pluschilling

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200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp sea salt flakes
125g unsalted butter, frozen for 1 hour
150g Gruyère, grated
1 British Blacktail Medium Egg yolk
1 tsp milk
½ tbsp freshly ground black pepper

To make the pastry, tip the flour and salt into a bowl. Use a coarse cheese grater to grate the frozen butter onto a plate, then add it to the bowl with 100g Gruyère; use a wooden spoon to stir them together and evenly distribute the butter and cheese through the flour. Pour 100ml ice-cold water into the bowl and use a cutlery knife to mix everything together to form a ball of pastry dough. Wrap the dough in baking parchment and chill for 30 minutes to firm up.
Line a large baking tray with parchment. Lightly flour a worktop, then roll out the dough to a neat 15x45cm rectangle (0.3cm thick). In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together the egg yolk and milk, then use a pastry brush to brush this over the top of the pastry. Sprinkle over the pepper and remaining 50g cheese. Slice 1.5x15cm lengths (you should get 18-20) and carefully twist them lengthways. Arrange on the tray, then chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7. Once chilled, bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

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