Cheese Straws

Cheese Straws

Makes 14 straws

Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry, sold in the supermarket freezer case, works well with this recipe. Thaw the puff pastry on the counter as you preheat the oven and grate the cheese. This recipe requires parchment paper, available next to the plastic wrap in the market. Completely cooled cheese straws can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days--but they won't last that long.

1	sheet  frozen puff pastry (1/2 box), thawed on counter for 10 minutes
1	cup  grated Parmesan cheese
1/4	teaspoon  table salt
1/4	teaspoon  ground black pepper

1. Adjust two oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Place puff pastry on sheet of parchment and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place another sheet of parchment over cheese and, using rolling pin, press cheese into dough by gently rolling pin back and forth. Without removing parchment, carefully flip dough over, cheese side down. Remove top layer of parchment and sprinkle pastry with remaining cheese, salt, and pepper. Cover pastry with parchment and continue to roll out, if necessary, to form 10 1/2-inch square.
2. Remove top sheet of parchment and, using sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into fourteen 3/4-inch-wide strips. Holding each end, gently twist strips of dough in opposite direction and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing strips about
1 inch apart.
3. Bake immediately, until fully puffed and golden brown, about 10 minutes, reversing positions of baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking time. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.