PARMESAN, PUFF PASTRY STRAWS

Parmesan, Puff Pastry Straws image

I love this recipe, because it is simple, tasty, and the variations are innumerable. It is an excellent choice for serving with dips, soups, beer, or just on its own as a snack; from the Bites and Pieces section of Martha Stewart's Hors D'Oeuvres Handbook. Some variations which I included (at Step 8) in preparation are: Parmesan-Garlic-Italian Parsley, Parmesan-Poppy - add poppy seeds Parmesan-Old Bay Seasoning Parmesan-Pepper flakes

Provided by TOOLBELT DIVA

Time 42m

Yield 36 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 6

Ingredients

1 puff pastry, chilled (1 box, frozen, has two sections, thaw in the refrigerator overnight)
all-purpose flour, for dusting
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
5 ounces parmesan cheese, grated on the small holes of a box grater
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 large egg, slightly beaten

Steps:

Note: The saltiness of Parmesan cheese varies from wheel to wheel, so be sure to taste the cheese before adding it to the mixture; If it is salty, reduce the amount of salt added to 1 t or alternatively, eliminate the added salt, entirely; You may choose to make your own pastry, or not; If not, then Tenderflake makes an excellent Puff Pastry, and you can purchase this from the frozen pastry section at your favourite Supermarket.
Preheat Oven to 425F, with the rack in the centre.
Place the chilled puff pastry on a lightly floured surface.
Roll out the dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick, making a 24 x 26 inch square (if you use the packaged puff pastry, your square will be slightly smaller-- That is OK, you will have two squares) Use a sharp knife to trim the edges of the dough; this will help make the edges uniform as they cook.
Brush the dough lightly with the melted butter.
Sprinkle the dough with 3/4 cup of the Parmesan and 1 tsp of the salt.
Brush the surface of the dough with the egg.
Sprinkle with the remaining salt and Parmesan.
Using a very sharp knife, cut the dough vertically, into 1/2 inch strips.
Transfer 6 of the strips to a baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart.
Grab each end of the dough strip with your fingers, and carefully stretch and twist the strip in opposite directions to create spiral strips.
Continue with the remaining strips of dough.
Bake until golden brown, 10- 12 minutes.
Remove and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up.
Using both hands, transfer the sticks to a wire rack or serving platter.