Cheese and Herb Straws

I had the day off [Thank you, Presidents], and have the house to myself. It was a weird day. This hasn’t happened in a long time.

I cleaned the shower.

Yeah, I am the epitome of excitement. I can’t be stopped.

I headed toward normal kinds of excitement for the rest of the day—wandering the streets waiting for the impending rain storm, coveting an entire shop of succulents and terrariums, eating a biscuit topped with fried chicken, bacon, cheddar cheese, and apple butter, manhandling bottles of spices, inhaling the scent of books and spending an obscene amount of time in the young adult section, sucking down a cappuccino in the presence of an amazing owl painting, playing in the rain with Roma, watching Smoke Signals, mindlessly eating all the leftover cheese and herb straws and stuffed mushroom filling for dinner, and bending to the brink of exhaustion at a yin yoga class.

I’m currently half asleep in bed with toothpicks propping my eyelids open. No joke. This is what happens when left to my own devices.

We’ll just pretend I didn’t eat an entire sheet of puff pastry. Is that kind of like gorging on a pint of ice cream?

Inspiration: Joy the Baker

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of puff pastry, unthawed
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
• 1 egg
• Hot sauce, to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parment or a silpat.
2. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. You want about a 10×12″ rectangle.
3. Whisk the egg, a splash of water, and hot sauce in a bowl. Brush it on the entire surface of puff pastry.
4. Sprinkle with cheese, shallot, and thyme.
5. Use the rolling pin to press the toppings into the pastry. Your hands work, too.
6. Using a pizza cutter [or knife], cut the pastry into 1/2″ strips.
7. Taking both ends in each of your hands, twist up the dough. It’s forgiving. The more twists the better it looks.
8. Place twists on prepared baking sheet.
9. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown.
10. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.