Smart After-school Snacks

Nutritious treats from FamilyFun

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Cheese Straws

This recipe was adapted from THE ART OF LOW-CALORIE COOKING by Sally Schneider.

Ingredients

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. Romano cheese, finely grated
1 tbsp. imported paprika
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1/4 lb. prepared puff pastry dough, defrosted according to package directions
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 egg white lightly beaten with 2 tsp. of water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper, cut so that 1 inch of metal is exposed at each end of the pan. In a bowl, combine cheese, paprika, and pepper, and set aside.
Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface and dust. Roll the dough into a 12- by 10-inch rectangle, about 1/16 of an inch thick. Brush the dough with a little bit of egg wash. Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture evenly over the surface, spreading it with your fingers. Lightly flatten the dough with a floured rolling pin. Fold the rectangle in half crosswise to enclose the cheese, forming a 7 1/2- by 10-inch rectangle. Brush the top with more egg wash; sprinkle half of the remaining cheese mixture over the surface, spreading evenly; roll lightly again. Turn the dough over and repeat the procedure on the other side.
With a long sharp knife, slice the folded dough crosswise into 20 1/2-inch-wide strips. Picking up one folded strip at a time, unfold it and place it across the prepared baking sheet, stretching gently so that the ends of the strip reach the exposed metal edges of the baking sheet. (Gently twisting the dough gives a rope effect.) To prevent the straw from curling while baking, press the ends firmly onto the baking sheet so that the dough sticks. Repeat with the remaining strips, spacing them 1/2 inch apart on each pan. (Unbaked strips can be left on their baking sheets, covered securely with plastic wrap, and frozen for up to two weeks.) Bake ten minutes or until golden brown. Makes 20.