Cheese straws

50g reduced-fat cheddar cheese

75g plain white flour

25g plain wholemeal flour

½ x 5ml spoon of mustard powder

50g baking fat/block

2 x 15ml spoons cold water

Weighing scales, baking tray, grater, chopping board, sieve, measuring spoons, mixing bowl, palette knife, flour dredger, rolling pin, cooling rack. 

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC or gas mark 6.
2. Grease or line the baking tray.
3. Grate the cheese.
4. Sift the flour and mustard powder into the mixing bowl.
5. Using your fingertips, rub the fat into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
6. Stir the cheese into the flour mixture.
7. Using a palette knife, mix to form a smooth dough, adding a little cold water to help bind the mixture together.
8. Roll out, on a lightly floured surface, to form a rectangle (20cm x 15cm) about 0.5cm thick.
9. Trim away the edges and cut into thin strips, about 1.5cm x 7cm, using a palette knife.
10. Place the straws on the baking tray.
11. Bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown.

• Serving suggestion: Serve with reduced-fat crème fraiche and spring onion dip. 
• Turn up the flavour: Add mixed herbs, chilli flakes or different types of cheese.
• Focus on fibre: Brush the straws with water and sprinkle with seeds before baking. Be ingredient aware! 
• Use the rolling pin like a ruler, to help you cut even strips.
• Food skills - check out our food skills videos to help understand the key skills used in this recipe.

Be ingredient aware!

Check for any food allergy, intolerance, special dietary requirement or religious/cultural reasons for not handling or eating the ingredients in this recipe. 

You may need to modify the recipe accordingly. For those with an allergy to gluten, use a gluten-free flour. Always check food labels for allergens, and suitability for vegetarians and vegans.

For full guidance and up-to-date information on the 14 allergens, please visit the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website. 
  

Nutritional information

This recipe serves three portions based on portion size guidance for 11-18 year olds , if serving to younger children then they may require a smaller portion and if serving to adults, they may require a bit more. 

Why not use the Explore Food calculator, the British Nutrition Foundation's free online nutritional analysis programme, to calculate the nutritional information for other recipes?