Snake cheese straws

Complete with guac 'swamp' (obv)

By Vanessa GrahamPublished: 15 December 2023

Daniel Harding

No Halloween party is complete without a table struggling under the weight of a mountain of spook-tacular snacks. Sure, there's the punch and few other mummified goodies, but our take on your classic cheese straw is a must-make. Plus, we've got a great trick for achieving the perfect twist (wind the pastry around a skewer).

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Yields:

Ingredients

60 g Gruyere cheese, finely grated
60 g Parmesan, grated
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
400 g ready-made pizza dough
Oil, for greasing
1 egg, beaten with 1tbsp water, to glaze
1 Tbsp. nigella seeds or black onion seeds
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
Wooden, or metal skewers

To serve

Guacamole
1/4 cucumber
2 stalks celery
1 red baby gem lettuce, leaves separated and washed

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 200ºC (180ºC Fan). Line 2-3 baking trays with paper.
2. Step 2Stir together the gruyere, parmesan and smoked paprika. Season with black pepper.
3. Step 3Roll out the pizza dough on an oiled work surface to a rectangle about 1/2cm thick. Cut in half. Brush the surface with the beaten egg and sprinkle one half with most of the cheese mixture. Lift the other half rectangle of dough on top, egg wash side down and press firmly to seal. Brush the top with the remaining egg wash. Sprinkle all over with the sesame seeds and nigella seeds.
4. Step 4Cut into 1cm thick strips. Rub skewers with a little of the oil. Wind the pastry strips around the skewers and arrange evenly spaced on the baking trays. Sprinkle over the rest of the cheeses and bake for 15mins, or until golden brown and crisp. Let cool before carefully pulling off of the skewers.
5. Step 5While the cheese straws are in the oven, arrange your board. Spoon guacamole into serving bowl and arrange cut cucumber, celery and lettuce leaves around the edge of the bowl to look like swamp. Serve with the cheese ‘snakes’ alongside to dip.