Best Homemade Cheese Straws with Poppy Seeds
Try my Cheese Straws with Poppy Seeds, the best homemade snack around. They are golden and flaky, enriched with tangy feta and sprinkled with crunchy poppy seeds.
Servings: 24 pieces
Calories: 165kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cubed
- 2 cups Feta cheese crumbled
- 2 large eggs
- 6 ½ tablespoons sour cream
- 1 egg beaten to brush the straws before baking them
- Toppings: poppy seeds , caraway, sesame, coarse salt
Instructions
- Pulse in a food processor flour and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add crumbled cheese, eggs, and sour cream, and pulse until you obtain a dough.
- Remove the buttery dough from the food processor, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for an hour.
- Bring it back to the kitchen and preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- After the dough has chilled, place it on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll it out to about ¼ inch thickness, maintaining a roughly rectangular shape.
- Use either a pastry cutter, sharp knife, or a pizza cutter to cut 3x½ inch or 7 x1cm thin strips, about 24 pieces.
- Place the strips on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Brush each straw with the remaining egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds (or sesame, caraway seeds etc).
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Finally, transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Variations:
- Cheese Varieties: Switch up the feta with other types of cheese for different flavors. Extra Sharp cheddar cheese, Parmesan, or Gruyère can offer new tastes and textures. Mixing cheeses can also create a complex flavor profile.
- Spice It Up: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, or dried herbs like rosemary or thyme to the dough for an extra kick or a touch of earthiness.
- Seeds and Nuts: Besides poppy seeds, try sprinkling sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, caraway seeds nd coarse salt.
- Infused Oils: Brush the uncooked straws with garlic or herb-infused olive oil instead of the beaten egg for a subtle layer of additional flavor.
- The butter must be cold if you want to achieve a flaky pastry.
- Don't overwork the dough, so you can keep the texture light.
- Bake until golden brown for the best flavor and snap.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 249IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg
