Homemade Cheese and Rosemary Sticks

Not only are these homemade cheese and rosemary sticks a crowd-pleaser as snacks during a dinner party, but they are fabulous to add to lunchboxes as well. That’s if they last long enough.

This recipe only has six ingredients and in less than 30 minutes you have 14 medium-sized sticks. I buy the puff-pastry sheets as it’s far more convenient than making my own. We have a few exciting other lunchbox ideas, check it out.

Working with Puff Pastry

The Kitchn provides a few handy tips for when baking with frozen puff pastry. It seems easy enough that you’re using store-bought sheets, but there are a few handy tips to follow to ensure you get the best from it. Once you’re comfortable using puff pastry, then give these Puff Pastry Breakfast Tarts a go!

1. Always thaw your frozen puff pastry.

Frozen puff pastry is a great alternative to making puff pastry at home. However, you need to plan ahead since you can’t use it when it’s still frozen. The pastry needs to be thawed before it can be used, and the best way to do this is overnight in the fridge. This will allow for the pastry to become pliable without softening too much.

2. Only unfold your pastry once it is fully thawed.

Frozen puff pastry needs to be unfolded for you to use it. Don’t make the mistake of doing this too early! Unfolding the pastry may seem like a minor step of the baking process, but doing it too quickly can cause the pastry to crack or break. If this does happen, wait a few minutes and try again.

3. Flour both your work surface and rolling pin.

Before you flatten out your pastry, lightly flour your work surface and the rolling pin. This will help the pastry to roll out smooth, and prevent any sticking, pulling and possible tearing.

4. Don’t over-roll your pastry.

Puff pastry is delicate and it requires for you to work gently with it. If you over-roll or use too much force, you’ll roll out some of the flakiness. This will cause your bake not to puff as much as you would like it to.

5. Be careful when cutting it.

If you’re cutting the puff pastry, be careful when doing so. Use either a sharp-edged cookie cutter for shapes or a paring knife. You may also consider using a pizza-cutter if you are cutting it into squares.

6. You only need a paring knife and a fork to create a puffy crust.

Whether you want to make a big tart or little tartlets with puffed-up crusts, it’s simple to do. Simply use a paring knife to score a border, then poke the inside with the tines of the fork. The edges will puff up and the centre will stay down.

7. Always chill the pastry again before baking.

Pop the pastry back into the fridge after working with it, while the oven preheats. This will give you extra peace of mind that the puff pastry will puff. This step gives the butter a chance to re-solidify, to get an even better result.

Homemade Cheese and Rosemary Sticks

With six ingredients and within less than 30 minutes you will have delicious cheese and rosemary sticks to enjoy. Remember to thaw your pastry the night before you want to use it.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan assisted. Prepare a flat baking sheet. Flour the work surface and sprinkle some cheese onto the prepared surface. Roll the puff pastry out onto the cheese and flour surface. Gently roll it out until about 1cm thick, forming a rectangular shape. Mix 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Using a pastry brush evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared pastry.

Finish off by sprinkling with the remaining cheese. Cut into long strips and place onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes until cooked.

Until next time!