Cheese Straws

A nice crispy, nutty, cheesy snack for your holiday table!

makes 24-28

8 ounces puff pastry (homemade or thawed)

1 ½ ounces of finely grated Parmesan cheese

pinch of cayenne

egg wash

1 ½ ounces of finely chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 400°.

Roll the pastry to approximately 8×16 inches and about ⅛ of an inch thick.  Brush with the egg wash.  Sprinkle the lower half length with the cayenne and cheese and then fold over the upper half of the pastry, sealing the edge.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with almonds. Lightly roll the top with a rolling pin to secure the almonds to the pastry.  Chill for about 20 minutes.

Cut ½ inch wide strips with a sharp knife or pastry wheel.  Twist the strips once or twice and place on a baking tray lined with silicone paper.  Press each end of the strips to the paper to prevent unraveling if necessary.  Bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.

It’s the journey…

I have to say overall I don’t travel well…or smart.  I’m definitely not one of those people that seem to stay mysteriously fresh looking throughout their travel experience.  I really envy those who dress smart and look perky and seem to know where their gate is via some internal GPS system.  I, on there hand, look like a train wreck, feel half dead, normally lost, drink way too much caffeine followed by beer, wine, champagne, followed by way more caffeine while I manage to food crawl through hours of layover.  I need to learn how to spend down time more productively no doubt.

On the brighter side, the 12 weeks at Ballymaloe Cooking School has ended and some students have found employment!  Well done for them.  Others have accumulated some valuable culinary knowledge that they will impart in one form or another throughout their lives.  I’m looking forward to seeing how much information from this experience will stay in my noodle and for how long.  The most enjoyable part of my time abroad was meeting so many fantastic people and working with them (and playing with them) in a very unique and intense environment.  I’ve made some new friends and that in itself was worth the journey.  Please stay in touch and look for posts from the green isle and other places in the near future.  Cheers!