Defrost your puff pastry sheets by lying them out flat on your bench. I leave them sitting on the piece of parchment paper or plastic sheet that they come packaged with so that they do not stick to the bench.
Sprinkle the grated cheese over one pastry sheet. Then lay the second pastry sheet on top, so that the cheese is sandwiched between the two sheets of pastry.
Gently roll the pastry with a rolling pin.
Using a sharp knife cut the filled pastry into thin strips (around 1 and ½ centimetres wide)
(Straw shape) Pinch two of the strips together at the top, twist the two strips together finishing by pinching the twist together at the bottom.
(Bunny shape): Lie a strip horizontally on a piece of parchment paper. Bring the ends upwards to make a smile shape. Cross the two pieces over twice to create a twist (the bunny ears).
Whisk the egg to make an egg wash.
Brush the egg wash over the cheese straws or bunnies and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown and crisp.
Video
Notes
To make your bunny twists even cuter you can add a tail! I do this by piping a little cream cheese tail onto the bunny before serving. I fill a pastry bag with whipped cream cheese and use large a star tip
Store your cheese straws in an airtight container in your pantry (they last better at room temperature than in the fridge).Cheese straws will last approximately one week depending on storage temperature and humidity.
If you have a pizza cutter use it to cut your strips of pastry, I find it faster and easier than using a knife.
I love adding a little extra flavor to my cheese straws (my kids don't though). When I make them for myself I like to spread a little dijon mustard on the pastry before adding the sheet as well as seasoning with a little black pepper
It can also be nice to season the grated cheese with a little onion powder, garlic powder paprika, or cayenne pepper.
After you have applied the egg wash you can sprinkle your cheese straws with sesame seeds for some extra crunch.
Pop one or two in your Childs lunchbox for a cute Easter treat this week.
Puff pastry sheets: I use store bought puff pastry for this recipe, but you could of course make your own. My son has coeliac disease so I also make these straws with gluten free puff pastry sheets (pavilion brand) and they work well.
Grated cheese: I use tasty cheddar or vintage cheddar (similar to extra sharp cheddar) when I make cheese straws. You want a strong flavoured cheese with low water content so that your straws stay crisp.
Egg: The egg wash is not essential but it down make puff pastry go beautifully golden brown. You can use a little milk as an alternative or you can skip this step entirely.