Baking Obsession

These are perfect for an easy entertaining menu. The recipe itself is super-easy. The straws can be made in advance and frozen unbaked for up to a week, or just put in the fridge overnight before baking. You can shove them in the oven when your guests are at the door and serve the straws freshly baked – warm, crisp, and wonderful.

The flavor combination is an old classic (doesn’t mean it’s out of fashion though). The way I like to make the straws is to put the filling (quite a lot) between two layers of puff pastry brushed with some egg wash, then roll the rolling pin over to adhere them well together and cut into thin strips. The filling stays inside and doesn’t try to escape, and every straw is packed with meat and cheese goodness.

Makes 20

Ingredients:

• 1 lb puff pastry (homemade or good quality store-bought)
• 1 egg yolk + 1 tsp water for egg wash
• ½ cup (packed) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3½ oz (100gr) thinly sliced Prosciutto
• 1/4 tsp coarse freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Center the oven rack and preheat the oven to 400F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

In a small bowl lightly whisk the egg yolk and water together to combine.

On a lightly floured surface or on a sheet of parchment, roll the puff pastry into two 1/8 inch thick squares, each about 10×10-inch. Brush both squares with the egg wash, sprinkle one of them evenly with the grated cheese, then top with the prosciutto slices, sprinkle with the pepper. Flip the second puff pastry square, egg wash side down over the filling. Gently roll a rolling pin over to adhere both layers to the filling inside. Trim the edges, if you wish. Using a pizza wheel, cut the dough into ½ inch strips. Make sure the pizza wheel is sharp. I also like to run a sharp slicer over the cuts just to ensure that all of these stubborn meat slices are completely cut off. Twist each strip from both ends to form a spiral and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Use a tiny amount of the egg wash to adhere the both ends of each straw to the baking sheet, press lightly to secure. It will prevent them from uncoiling in the oven during baking. Put the baking sheets in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking. Bake in batches for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until puffed and nicely brown. Cool the straws on a rack until warm and serve. Any leftovers (which is very unlikely) can be re-warmed and re-crisped on the cooling rack set over the baking sheet in the 325F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes.

To make in advance, first freeze on the parchment paper on the baking sheet. Once frozen hard, wrap well or pack into an airtight container and keep in the freezer until needed. No need to defrost before baking, just add a few minutes to the baking time.