The perfect holiday appy, simple and elegant Gruyรจre cheese straws. Homemade, crispy little bites that are the perfect nibble while sipping a cocktail or some champagne, these cheese straws are so easy to make. This recipe is made with frozen store-bought puff pastry, and aside from some good cheese, it's fairly simple and inexpensive to put together. Impress your guests this New Year's Eve, your next cocktail party, or just add a unique touch to your next charcuterie board. Simple, sophisticated and a really easy-to-make recipe.
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As we look ahead to holiday get-togethers, Christmas Eve and New Year's celebrations, these crispy cheese straws with Gruyรจre cheese are sure to make an appearance on our charcuterie board. We tend to keep our New Year's Eve festivities mellow and intimate: a small gathering at home, filled with good food and good company. And more often than not, we're in bed before the clock strikes midnight!
I love whipping up these simple cheese straws for a cozy charcuterie cocktail party. They make the perfect crunchy snack to enjoy alongside a cocktail or a glass of bubbly. This recipe feels a little old-school, a little retro, reminiscent of the late 90s - it pairs well with some of those classic cocktails, such as a Cosmo, French Martini, or anything featuring champagne. Sure, you could buy a box of cheese staws-spending around $15 for a handful of not-so-fresh bites-but I definitely prefer making my own from scratch.
Serve alongside other savoury snacks, such as theseย Thyme Infused Almonds,ย Oven-Roasted Mushrooms, and good olives.
What you need to make Crispy Gruyรจre Cheese Straws
This is a relatively simple recipe with just a few main ingredients:
Frozen puff pastry. I always keep a package of frozen puff pastry in my freezer. Of course, for recipes like this, but also to make a quick topping for a pot pie or something. I use PC Brand. Use your favourite. I prefer a butter-based puff pastry.
Dijon Mustard. A good grainy mustard with deep flavour. The mustard cuts the richness of the pastry and the cheese, adding some depth and tang.
Gruyรจre cheese. Gruyรจre cheese is a semi-hard cheese with a nutty flavour and creamy texture, which works in this recipe because it melts well and has a slightly sweet, slightly salty taste. If you don't have Gruyรจre, you can substitute a good Swiss cheese, such as Emmental or Jarlsberg.
Other ingredients you will need
- Flour for dusting
- A large egg to make an egg wash - helps to achieve a crispy golden crust and keep the cheese on the pastry
- Parmesan for extra sharp cheese flavour
- Good, flaky salt for finishing.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Before you start
Before starting, ensure your puff pastry is fully thawed but very cold. I like to take mine out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator the day or night before, so it's ready to work with.
Timing
You also need to give the puff pastry some chill time before baking. Chilling the pastry between steps will give you the best results. For the best crisp, the pastry needs to be cold when baked. Allow at least 40 minutes in total to prepare the straws before baking. You can do all the prep up to the day before to save time before your gathering.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Roll the puff pastry out on a floured surface and into an 11-inch x 13-inch rectangle. Starting with the short end closest to you, spread the lower half of the rectangle with Dijon, leaving about an inch border around the sides.
Brush the edges with egg wash and fold the top half over the Dijon, lining up the edges. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill at least 15 minutes.
Cut the chilled pastry into about 12 batons or sticks. Cut the pastry square in half, parallel to the folded end, so that you have two 6-inch-wide sections. Cut each of these sections into about 6 sticks; each stick will be about 6 inches long and 1 inch wide.
Arrange sticks on a baking sheet so they are not touching and brush with the tops of each with the eggwash. Sprinkle each stick with Gruyรจre and Parmesan. And sprinkle with flaky salt. Chill again about 15 minutes.
At this point, you keep the cheese sticks in the refrigerator for several hours, or even overnight.
Before baking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Bake the sticks at 400 degrees for 15 - 18 minutes or until golden brown, puffy and the cheese is bubbly. Allow to cool for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack or serving plater. Serve warm or room temperature.
Tip: Prep the sticks through the second step and set aside to chill ahead of time. Bake as you are ready to serve.
Serving and storage
The Crispy cheese sticks are best served just after baking, still warm or at room temperature. Cheese sticks do not keep well and should not be refrigerated after baking, as they will lose their crispness.
So plan appropriately, get them prepped and ready to bake and bake just before serving.
Serving ideas:
Serve as part of an appetizer table or on a charcuterie board. These savoury cheese sticks complement all types of cocktails and wine. Champagne or sparkling wine is especially nice as it cuts through the rich butteriness of the cheese and pastry.
Here are some classic cocktail choices that are especially good
Top Tip for Sucess:
Make sure to work with the puff pastry while it is very cold to achieve the best results and get good, puffy, crispy cheese sticks. Don't skip chilling the pastry between each step.
FAQ
Gruyรจre works especially well because it melts nicely, and its slightly nutty, slightly sweet, and salty flavours pair well with the rich pastry and Dijon. You can use a good Swiss cheese in its place, like Emmental or Jarlsberg.
Not long. I suggest you bake these just ahead of serving so that they stay crisp. Don't try to bake the day ahead of time, and definitely do not try to refrigerate.
Yes. You can assemble and prep ahead of baking. But don't bake until you are ready to serve. Following the recipe below, prep through step 3 a day or two ahead of time. Keep them chilled in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve, baking them just before serving.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
๐ Recipe
Homemade Crispy Cheese Straws
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry fully thawed but still cold
- 3 tbsps Dijon grainy mustard
- 1 large egg lightly beaten with a splash of water to make an egg wash
- 3 oz Gruyere cheese grated
- 2 tbsps Parmesan cheese grated
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- On a floured surface gently roll out pastry into an 11-inch by 13-inch rectangle. With shorter end facing you, spread Dijon mustard on lower half of the rectangle. Leave about an inch boarder on each edge. Brush edges with egg wash. Fold top half over lower half lining up edges. Chill at least 15 minutes.1 sheet frozen puff pastry, 3 tbsps Dijon grainy mustard, 1 large egg
- Remove from oven. Trim any uneven edges with a sharp knife. Cut pastry in half paralelle to the folded edge. Cut each section into 6 sticks - about 1-inch in width each. Place sticks on the parchment paper lined baking sheet, evently spaced and not touching. Brush each stick with egg wash. Sprinkle each stick with gruyere and parmesan cheese. Chill for at least 15 minutes. *Tip* - Make up to a day ahead through this step.3 oz Gruyere cheese, 2 tbsps Parmesan cheese, Flaky sea salt
- When ready to serve. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In preheated oven, bake sticks 15-18 minutes until puffed up, cheese has melted and is golden brown. Allow to cool about 5 minutes on baking tray before moving them to a serving platter or cooling rack. Serve warm or room temperature.
