French Cheese Straws Food

GOUGèRES (FRENCH CHEESE PUFFS)

Steps:

• Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat it to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Bring the milk, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the flour all at once, lower the heat to medium and, using a wooden spoon, immediately start stirring energetically. The dough will form into a ball and there will be a light film on the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring for another two minutes or so to dry the dough: Dry dough will make puffier puffs.
• Turn the dough out into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or work by hand in a large bowl with a wooden spoon and elbow grease). Let the dough sit for a minute to cool, then add the eggs one by one, followed by the white, beating on medium speed until each one is incorporated before adding the next. The dough may look as though it's separating or falling apart -- just keep going, and by the time the egg white goes in, the dough will be smooth. Beat in the mustard, followed by the cheese. Give the dough a last mix-through by hand.
• Scoop or spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized balls of dough (I use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop), and drop the dough on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the mounds. (The scooped dough can be frozen on the baking sheets.)
• Slide the baking sheets into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375°F. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom. Continue baking until the gougères are puffed, golden, and firm enough to pick up, another 15 to 17 minutes. Serve immediately -- these are best directly from the oven. Storing: Although the puffs are best served hot out of the oven, they are still nice (although flatter) at room temperature that same day. If you want to keep baked puffs longer, freeze them and then reheat in a 350°F-oven for a few minutes.
• Make-Ahead/Freezer Instructions: Scoop the dough and freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then pack them in an airtight container. You can bake them straight from the freezer; just give them a few more minutes in the oven.
• Note/Variation: Dorie adds ⅔ cup walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted and chopped, to these gougères. My family prefers them without nuts but it's a nice variation to try. Add them along with the cheese.

FRENCH CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Line two baking sheets with nonstick baking mats; set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix together both cheeses and cayenne pepper, if using. Sprinkle cheese mixture on work surface; top with puff pastry and roll out to a 10-by-13-inch rectangle, pressing dough into cheese to adhere. Sprinkle top of dough with poppy seeds, if desired; press gently with a rolling pin to adhere.
• Using a pastry cutter, trim sides to form a 9-by-12-inch rectangle. Cut puff pastry into 3/4-inch-thick strips. Grab each end of a dough strip with your fingers and carefully stretch and twist strip in opposite directions; arrange 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Transfer to refrigerator to chill, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until golden and puffed, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Put the softened cheese and butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer. Using the heaviest mixer paddle attachment, beat until the mixture has the consistency of whipped cream, 15 to 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, sift 3 cups of the flour with the salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Gradually add the seasoned flour to the cheese mixture by large spoonfuls, beating well after each addition. Add the remaining 1 cup unseasoned flour incrementally until the dough is somewhat stiff but still soft enough to be pushed through a cookie press; you may not need to add all the flour.
• Lightly spray 4 cookie sheets with cooking spray. Put a portion of the dough into a cookie press fitted with the star tube and press the dough onto a cookie sheet in long strips that run the length of the pan. Repeat until the pan is full. Bake until straws are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.
• With your hands or a sharp knife, break or cut the long strips into 3-inch lengths. Use a flat, thin spatula or an egg turner to remove the cheese strips from the pan. Allow them to cool on a wire rack. When they are completely cool, serve or store in a tightly covered container.

CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it is 10- by 12-inches. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the surface of the pastry. Sprinkle each sheet evenly with 1¿4 cup of the Parmesan, 1¿2 cup of the Gruyère, 1¿2 teaspoon of the thyme, 1¿2 teaspoon of the salt, and some pepper. With the rolling pin, lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cut each sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza wheel into 11 or 12 strips. Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Turn each straw and bake for another 2 minutes. Don't over bake or the cheese will burn. Cool and serve at room temperature.

EASY CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• On a clean working surface, roll out the sheet of puff pastry. Gently press the puff pastry flat, keeping the wrapping paper at the back to prevent the pastry from sticking to your working surface.
• Brush the pastry all over with the egg yolk. Sprinkle with the cheese and walnuts, then generously season with black pepper. Gently press the garnishes down onto the pastry.
• Using a pizza wheel or a very sharp knife, slice the sheet into two rectangles, then slice each rectangle into thin ½-in (1 cm) strips. Gently pick up 1 strip and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. As you set the strips down, twist the ends in opposite directions to tightly spiral the straws. Repeat to create all straws. Pick up the garnishes that have fallen off the straws during the process and carefully sprinkle them back over the twisted straws.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The cheese straws are ready when they are puffed, deep golden brown, and dry to the touch.
• Transfer the sheet to a rack and cool for 15 minutes.
• SERVING: Serve the cheese straws cool or warm.
• STORAGE: Cheese straws are best enjoyed the day they're made, but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Warming up the straws in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 minutes will make them super crispy again.
• CLEVER TIP: Don't want to or can't use nuts? You can substitute finely chopped, pitted olives, fresh or dried herbs, or seeds such as poppy or sesame seeds. Sprinkle a pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne pepper for a delightful flavor punch!

EASY CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, butter, and cayenne with a fork or in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Stir in the cheese and knead by hand until the mixture holds together, adding a few drops of cold water if necessary.
• This mixture may be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen until ready to use.
• Roll the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch (5 mm) and cut into strips about 1/2 inch (1 cm wide) and 4 inches (10 cm) long.
• Sprinkle with coarse salt and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
• Bake in a preheated 450F (230C) until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

QUICK CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• heat oven to 220c/fan 200c/gas 7. Unroll a puff pastry, scatter over a couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan, then fold in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut into 1cm strips, then twist the strips 3-4 times. Lay on a baking sheet, scatter over more cheese and bake for 12 mins, or until golden. Leave to cool, then keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. As these cheese straws are very delicate, roll them in kitchen paper before packing into a plastic container.