Parmesan Party Cheese Straws

Partyin'! Partyin'! Yeah!  What says "party" more that Parmesan Party Cheese Straws?  Well, there are a few things: a pinata of a Summer Wheatley, silly string, and a cardboard cutout of John Wayne. 

These cheese sticks would be a great addition to a party though.  They turn out slightly crispy, yet chewy at the same time.  You could do a myriad of flavors if you feel like getting creative.  They are simple to make, they look neat (they kind of remind me of those happy-thought provoking twisty slides at playgrounds), and they're good.  The best part is that you don't have to make the dough or let them rise.  Breadsticks in a flash!  Who can complain about that?  Not me, my friends, not me. 

 Parmesan Party Cheese Straws
source: America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
2 oz. of Parmesan or Asiago cheese (1 cup)
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Let's turn up the heat!

Once the puff pastry sheet is thawed, sprinkle it with the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

 Place plastic wrap over the dough and use a rolling pan to roll the dough into a ten inch square.  Rolling it out will press the cheese into the dough so it won't flee the scene when you start to twist them.

 Here is a close-up picture of the rolled-out dough.  It kind of looks like a negative picture of the night sky, minus the shreds of cheese.

 Using a pizza cutter, make about 12-13 strips.  They should be under an inch thick. 

 Grab one strip at each end and twist in opposite directions.  You can see below how they should look once they are twisted.  It's like twisting streamers at a party.  See?  The party just keeps on happening.

 Bake them for a whopping ten minutes or until they are starting to turn golden brown.  Cool for a few minutes before serving.

Now, just because they are called "Party Straws," it doesn't mean that you can only have them at a party.  For example, I made soup the other night to go along with these crispy morsels.  They were quite delightful alongside a bowl of soup.