Foods of England - Cheese Straws

Cheese Straws

Breads

Thin batons of dough, typically 1/2in diameter and 7ins long, with cheese, usually Cheddar, baked hard.

Known at least since Dainty Dishes by Lady Harriet St Clair, 1866, and 'The Official Handbook for the National Training School for Cookery' of 1877.

2013

Original Receipt from Dainty Dishes by Lady Harriet St Clair, 1866

CHEESE STRAWS Take six ounces of flour four of butter two of cream, three of grated parmesan cheese, the slightest grating of nutmeg, two grains of cayenne, a little salt and white pepper, mix the whole well together, roll it out and cut it in strips the size and thickness of a straw. They must be baked in a moderate oven should be quite crisp and of a pale colour. Serve very hot in the second course

Original Receipt from 'Pot-luck; or, The British home cookery book' by May Byron (Byron 1914)

298. CHEESE STRAWS (Essex)
Rub one and a half ounces of butter into three ounces of flour, with the finger-tips. Add one and a half ounces of American Cheddar, grated, quarter of a teaspoonful of baking powder, a little cayenne, a small pinch of salt, and a little water, enough to mix it into a very dry dough. Roll it out an eighth of an inch thick, and cut it into sticks two and a half inches long. Bake it like pastry, but don't let it colour.

299. CHEESE STRAWS (Isle of Wight)
Two ounces of butter, two ounces of flour, one yolk of egg, three ounces of cheese (two ounces of Parmesan and one ounce of Cheddar), one tablespoonful of cold water, cayenne pepper, salt. Rub the butter into the flour, add the grated cheese, pepper, and salt, mix to the consistency of pastry with the yolk and water; roll out, and cut into rings and straws, allowing six straws to one ring. When served, the straws are placed through the rings. Bake a short while in a quick oven.

300. CHEESE STRAWS (Kent)
Two ounces of butter, two ounces of flour, two ounces of breadcrumbs, two ounces of grated cheese, half small saltspoonful of mixed salt and cayenne; mix all to a paste, roll it out quarter of an inch ia thickness; cut it into narrow strips, lay them on a sheet of paper, and bake for a few minutes. Arrange the straws on a napkin and serve hot.

301. CHEESE STRAWS (Staffordshire)
Half pound of dried flour, quarter pound of butter, quarter pound of grated cheese, teaspoonful mustard, cayenne, saltspoonful of salt. Rub butter into the flour, and then mix the whole well together. Beat the whites of two eggs with half a pint of cold water, and stir in enough to form a firm paste. Knead it well. Roll it out the eighth of an inch thick, and cut it into straw-like strips, about five inches long. Bake in a quick oven a pale brown colour - about five minutes. Pile them on a dish prettily, and serve hot or cold. Must be kept in a dry place.

302. CHEESE STRAWS (Surrey)
Three ounces of flour, two ounces of butter, the yolk of one egg, three ounces of grated cheese, cayenne, and salt. Rub the butter into the flour, add the cheese and seasoning. Mix into a stiff paste with the yolk of egg. Roll out and cut into narrow strips about two inches long. Bake a pale fawn colour on a greased tin or baking sheet. To be served hot.

303. CHEESE STRAWS (Yorkshire)
Grate two ounces of Parmesan cheese into a bowl. Mix with it a pinch of salt, a little cayenne, and two ounces of flour, and rub in two ounces of butter. Make the ingredients into a stiff paste with the yolk of one egg, cut them about five inches long, and bake them. When they are a pale brown colour they are done. They will take about ten minutes.

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