Cheese Straws

Cheese Pastry © Past Recipes

Looking through my great-great-grandmother Lottie's handwritten notebook from 1912, I was intrigued to see a recipe for "Cheese Pastry" - which I quickly discovered was her version of cheese straws!

Cheese straws give me such nostalgia for my childhood... I can't remember many family picnics or outings that my Nan didn't make them for. Indeed, they must have been one of the first things that she and my Mum taught me how to bake.

These savoury snacks have a long history in the UK and Southern United States. Early recipes include those featured in 'Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management' of 1861, 'Dainty Dishes' by Lady Harriet St Claire in 1866, and 'The Official Handbook for the National Training School for Cookery' of 1877.

Here in the West Country, cheese straws are usually cut from a shorter pastry (in the way of Mrs Beeton), as oppose to the perhaps more continental twists of puff pastry that you might find in the supermarket.

Lottie's are the traditional sort; made from a dough incorporating butter, flour, salt, cheddar cheese and cayenne pepper. Below you will find a transcription of her recipe, followed by my advice on how to try out "Cheese Pastry" for yourself!

"Cheese Pastry" by Lottie Fern, "Cookery Recipes" 1912 © Past Recipes

Cheese Pastry

Ingredients:

• 1 oz grated cheese
• 1 oz butter
• 1 oz flour
• Pepper and salt to taste
• Pinch of cayenne
• Teaspoonful of yolk of egg
• 1 teaspoonful of lemon juice

Method:

1. Mix all well together
2. Roll out to a thin paste
3. Cut into fingers
4. Bake in a moderate oven for 8 or 10 minutes

As you can see, Lottie didn't leave us with the most detailed of instructions. However, I think that is only to be expected. She had probably been making some of these recipes since childhood and didn't need great long explanations. I just hope that one day I'll know her cookbook that well too!

In the meantime, through trial and error, I have picked up a few tips and tricks to make the baking of "Cheese Pastry" a smidgen easier. 

Firstly, I would begin by rubbing the butter into the flour. Then add and mix in the cheese; then the pepper, salt and cayenne. I would also suggest beating the egg yolk and lemon juice together a little before combining it with the dry ingredients.

Rather than stirring, I find it easier to press the mixture together with the back of a spoon and then knead a couple of times. Likewise, while Lottie says to "roll out to a thin paste", make sure that it isn't so thin that it falls apart when you cut and transfer it to a baking tray. It helps to use a fair amount of flour on your board and rolling pin.

Though finger shapes are traditional, don't be afraid to use a cookie cutter instead. I often do when the mixture isn't behaving and I'm finding it hard to cut neatly with a knife!

I've taken "a moderate oven" to mean Gas Mark 3 or 4 (140-160°F/160-180°C), which seems to work just fine. Finally, don't be tempted to go over ten minutes! Your cheese straws will appear more solid once they've cooled down.

That's if you can wait for them to cool down, which I certainly can't!

I would love to know if you try out Lottie's "Cheese Pastry" and how it goes, so please feel free to comment or to catch up with me on social media.

Happy Baking!

Katie

Cheese Pastry © Past Recipes