Cheese Twists Recipe (From Scratch)

Not sure about other places, but in the UK the cheese twists are ever so popular, never missing from any party or celebration. They are cheesy, relatively mess free, and a big hit with people of all ages.

Now, as good as they sound, there are a few issues I personally have with them: the regular cheese twists/straws are made with margarine, and they taste like plastic. Yuck! Now, I might not have mentioned before, but for me margarine is a big no no in my kitchen.

Some more expensive variations might use butter instead of margarine, but then you also feel it in your pockets, so why not make your own cheese twists at home with natural ingredients and no puff pastry? And I can promise you, they taste amazing!

You know me already, I love cheese! If you want to wow me, bring me a nice cheese board, not chocolates! So these cheese twists are just what I need when my savory tooth needs its fix.

Ingredients needed

• plain flour - or regular flour
• salted butter - if you don't have salted, use unsalted and add a pinch of salt
• egg - at room temperature
• grated cheddar cheese - or any other hard cheese of your choice
• grated parmesan cheese
• milk - full-fat is the best for this recipe

Step-by-step photos and instructions

Some cheese twists recipes call for puff pastry. But we can do better than that. So how about me make our own dough, it's quick and super easy too.

• in a bowl, sift the flour and add the cubed butter
• use your fingertips to rub them together until it resembles breadcrumbs
• add the grated cheddar and parmesan, egg yolk and milk
• knead gently to get a nice dough that does not stick to the hands
• cover the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes
• use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to 1 cm (½ inch) thickness
• cut out strips of dough, then twist them
• arrange on the baking tray lined with non-stick paper
• bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes or until golden

Expert tips

These cheese straws taste as good as they look - or even better. I chose cheddar cheese (it's my favourite cheese, of course), and parmesan for a nice sharp kick. They didn't disappoint, these 2 cheeses really are the very best combo you can get.

But any other hard cheese can be added - including red cheddar or red leicester cheese. As long as they taste ok, that's all we need to worry about.

Make sure you chill the dough before baking the twists, as with most buttery products, chilling the dough means less spreading and less mess in the oven.

Other cheese pastry recipes

If you like these cheese twists, how about some similar recipes that can be a big hit for any party too? My Homemade Cheese Crackers (Baby and Toddler Friendly) are as delicious.