Cheese and onion straws

It’s a pity children don’t come with an instruction manual. I’d like to know how to deal with the tantrums that ensue after helping to open a drink I’ve been asked to. Or how to console a two-year-old incandescent with rage at being unable to climb a slide without slipping down it. If I had any input into the instruction manual it would have these cheese and onion straws originally devised by Anuszka’s mum, for they produce toothy grins and rounded chipmunk cheeks; the holy grail of parenting.

INGREDIENTS

175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

2 teaspoons mustard powder

100g salted butter, cut into 1 cm cubes

100g parmesan, grated

1 large egg, beaten

20g onion sprinkles

or 20g onion crispies

or 20g ready-to-eat fried onions

METHOD

Mix together the flour, mustard powder and onion sprinkles until well combined. Use clean hands to rub in the butter until you have a fine breadcrumb-like consistency, then stir in the cheese. Add the beaten egg and use a blunt knife to mix and pull the mixture together. Wrap in cling film and chill for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C and line 2 baking trays with non-stick greaseproof paper. Roll out the pastry to a 1 cm thickness on a lightly floured work surface. Cut into straws, each about 1.5 x 10 cm, place on the baking trays and bake for 10–15 minutes until browned and baked through. Remove from the tray and leave to cool on a wire rack and serve as a cheesy alternative to crisps.

IDEAS FOR ONION SPRINKLES

Dip chicken strips in flour, beaten egg and then breadcrumbs mixed with onion sprinkles before baking for 20 minutes at 180°C to make low-fat chicken dippers. Or use to top shepherd’s pie. Or make yeasted bread swirls following the St Clements recipe, but using butter and onion sprinkles as the filling rather than sugar and zest, then painting with egg wash before baking for a shiny glaze.

#normalmum #cheese #parmesan #onion #onionsprinkles #strws #happies