Make cheese straws with the added flavours of sesame and poppy seeds, dried onion flakes and sea salt. They’re perfect snacks to serve with cocktails
Prep:25 mins
Makes 20
500g all-butter puff pastryplain flour, for dusting1 egg, beaten1 tsp onion flakes1 tbsp sesame seeds1 tbsp poppy seeds1 tsp flaky sea salt125g soft cheese50g parmesan, gratedsmoked salmon, capers and lemon wedges, to serve (optional)
STEP 1Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle roughly the thickness of a 50p coin. Brush the surface with a thin coating of beaten egg. Mix the onion flakes, seeds and flaky sea salt, then scatter over the pastry, pressing gently to help them stick. Dust with a little flour to dry out any sticky areas.STEP 2Flip the pastry onto a floured sheet of baking parchment so the seedy topping is now underneath. Spread over the soft cheese, then scatter with the parmesan. Season with a little black pepper. Fold the pastry in half, like closing a book. Lightly roll the pastry just to help the two sides stick.STEP 3Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the pastry into long strips. Twist each strip a few times to make the classic cheese straw shape and lay on the baking tray, pressing the ends onto the tray to prevent them from unravelling in the oven. Chill for at least 20 mins. Will keep frozen for two months.STEP 4Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 and bake for 20 mins. Bake for 25 mins from frozen. Leave to cool for a few minutes before serving alongside smoked salmon and capers, if you like, with a few lemon wedges to squeeze over the salmon.
