Cheese and Marmite Straws & Bryndza Cheese Straws

Before Christmas I saw a cooking show on ITV, while running on the treadmill in the gym. Even since I wanted to try this quick, easy recipe that would be perfect for unexpected guests. I never liked Marmite on a toast, but I love the Marmite coated cashew and Marmite crisps you can buy in the supermarket, so I tough to give it a go. And I was right, it was delicious. For the other half of the puff pastry I used bryndza cheese (we call it brindza in Hungary) which is made from sheep and goats milk, usually soft, spreadable, "smelly" cheese. It is also you either love it or hate it, so basically I placed two "love it or hate it" ingredients together and we loved them both.

Cheese and Marmite Straws & Bryndza Cheese Straws

Ingredients for the Marmite Straws

250g puff pastry

20 g butter, melted

1 tbsp Marmite

50 g parmesan cheese, grated

50 g mature cheddar cheese, grated

Ingredients of the Bryndza Straws

250g puff pastry

20 g butter, melted

100g bryndza cheese

50 g mature cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Whichever filling you choose the preparation is identical.

Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to roughly 4 mm thick and achieve a rectangle shape. Brush the melted butter on the surface of the pastry than spread the Marmite on one half. Sprinkle  3/4 of both cheeses on the Marmite covered half, then fold the pastry over lengthways.

 Using your rolling pin compress the pastry (gently, but firmly) so you have the filling in between the pastry layer tightly. This will help retain the nice filling line when you twist the strip. Roll until the pastry is 3-4 mm thick.

With a pizza cutter, cut 1 cm wide strips and twist. Arrange on baking sheets (and chill for 10 minutes before baking-if you have the time). Spay some vegetable fat on the strips, sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown and puffed up. 

If the strips don't want to stay twisted on the baking sheet, just lightly press down the two ends with your fingers, so the pastry "sticks" to the baking sheet.

To do the bryndza Straws just repeat the same process, but replace the Marmite with Bryndza.

Cheesy Scones/Sajtos Pogácsa

So Pogácsa is a "national dish" for Hungarians. Ask any Hungarian if they know what Pogácsa is? You will have an ohhhh, áhhhh I love them. That is all you need to know before making this. Pogácsa or Cheesy scones usually requires at least 1-2 hours rise time, but not this one...So you can make this even if you are in a hurry. I got this recipe from a Hungarian blogger (Kriszta konyhája). Enjoy.

Cheesy Scones/ Sajtos Pogácsa

Ingredients

400g flour

250g butter at room tempeature

2dl soured cream

30g yeast

150g grated smoked cheese

2 tsp salt

For the top

2 egg yolks

grated cheese

Preheat the oven to 180C. 

 Mix all ingredients in a bowl to form a dough. 

On a floured surface roll out the dough to 2cm thick and with a cookie cutter cut 3cm rounds.

Transfer them on a baking sheet, then apply the egg wash on top and add a pinch of grated cheese on top.

Bake it for 20-20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

In the end I made this batch of Cheesy Scones and a batch of Crackling scones...this is how we went to pick up my mum and my sister from the airport (in case they are hungry:) Typical Hungarian attitude to guests:) By the way at the time when I made the picture the other batch of crackling scones was still in the oven.