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Cheesy Straws

Cheesy Straws

These cheesy straws are a lovely snack for lunch boxes and last minute visitors. They can be prepared whenever you have time, and the pastry frozen – then just pop out a handful and bake when you need them.  I was setting an Autumn scene for some photos I had to do, so we broke up the straws to make a ‘woodpile’. I was glad when the kids walked in and said ‘Oh, look at the brooms!’  Always useful when people can tell what you’re going for!
Cheesy Straws

These cheesy straws can be made as straws, though simply baking them in rounds is okay too – I tend to freeze them as round biscuits, making them easier to use with dips. If you’re going to make brooms, I recommend that you use the stringy type of kids cheese, rather than regular blocks of cheese which crack rather than pull apart. And have more chives than you think you need as they break really easily too. Cheesy Straws

I also like to add paprika or rosemary to cheese strings – it just depends on what flavour you like, or whether you like something different from time to time! Also, you don’t have to add parmesan, it just heightens the cheese flavour. If you decide not to, just make another 50g cheddar cheese.

Cheesy Straws Recipe:

Cheesy Straws
Author: Keeper of the Kitchen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 60 sticks
Ingredients
  • 375g plain flour
  • 225g butter
  • 150g cheddar cheese
  • 50g parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp mustard (I use a grainy mustard, but powder will work too)
  • 2 egg yolks
  • pinch of salt
  • pepper to taste
Instructions
Thermomix Instructions
  1. Add all the ingredients to the Thermomix bowl
  2. Mix speed 5/30 seconds
  3. Remove and shape into a log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes
  4. Heat the oven to 180C
  5. Break off pieces and roll into sticks using your hands
  6. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool before moving but be gentle as they are fragile
Regularly Instructions
  1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor
  2. Mix until everything is combined and the dough forms a ball
  3. Remove and shape into a log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes
  4. Heat the oven to 180C
  5. Break off pieces and roll into sticks using your hands
  6. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool before moving but be gentle as they are fragile

 

 

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Home Made Mayonnaise

Homemade MayonnaiseI have made mayonnaise for many years, long before I bought my Thermomix, but in the Thermomix it is so, so easy… when it works. I’ve had as many flops as successes making mayo in the Thermomix, and when it flops, well, it flops big and is wasteful, so I really hate it.

It’s been a few months now that we’ve not had a regular base, or a fridge, so I haven’t made mayonnaise for a while, but since we’re in a house again, I decided to make some now – it’s homely to have mayonnaise in the fridge. So, I did what I often do when I’m at a foodie – loss. I knock on Jamie Oliver’s door (Metaphorically speaking. I don’t actually know him). Now I know ol’ Jamie’s been accused of being out of touch with ‘poverty’ and all that, but the man likes the kind of food I like, and honestly, if he ever had a frienship-vacancy, I’d be right in there. Him and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, seriously, what a dinner party we could have. Sigh.

Never mind, I’ll console myself with this rather perfect mayonnaise.

I had egg yolks in the fridge – I took them out about 10 minutes before, but they’d been there for about three days (I use something similar to these silicon lids instead of plastic wraps to keep things fresh. They are awesome.)

I hope this recipe works for you as well as it does for me.

Home Made Mayonnaise
Recipe Type: Condiment
Author: Luschka/Jamie Oliver
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 500ml
Jamie Oliver recommends lemon juice in this mayo – I don’t use lemon juice, but I add garlic because it’s delish.
Ingredients
  • 2 free range egg yolks
  • 1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard (I use a grainy mustard though, as that’s what I like!)
  • 500ml vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt (I use[url href=”http://www.buywholefoodsonline.co.uk/himalayan-rose-pink-salt-fine-500g.html” target=”_blank”] pink Himalayan[/url])
  • 1/2 lemon (optional)
  • 1 clove of garlic (optional)
Instructions
Thermomix instructions in bold.
  1. Make sure you have your vinegar measured out and set aside, ready.
  2. Add two free range egg yolks and a heaped teaspoon of mustard to the bowl. [b]Add the butterfly[/b] and whisk[b] speed 4[/b]. Add 250ml of the vegetable oil very slowly in a slow drizzle [b]through the hole in the lid[/b] into the bowl.
  3. When you’ve poured about half of the oil in, add the vinegar. (Jamie says this makes it lighter in colour and texture, which it does.)
  4. Add the rest of the oil in a slow trickle – it should take about 4 minutes to add all the oil.
  5. Add your flavours now, either lemon juice, garlic, paprika – whatever you fancy. Whisk it for another 5 seconds or so, the store in an airtight container.