What savory puff pastry snack is made with cheese and flour?

What savory puff pastry snack is made with cheese and flour? Cheese straws. These crisp, savory pastry strips are typically made from flour, butter, salt, cheddar cheese, and cayenne pepper, then baked until lightly browned.

Cheese straws are served as appetizers or snacks and are especially associated with the Southern United States, although they also have a longstanding English tradition. The dough may be rolled and cut into strips, or pushed through a cookie press to create ridged shapes. Recipes vary by region and household, with different cheeses, spices, nuts, or levels of heat.

The term can cause confusion because cheese crackers, cheese curls, and cheese puffs are also crunchy cheese snacks. Cheese straws are distinct because they are made from a cheese-enriched pastry dough rather than an extruded corn snack or a simple baked cracker.

An early English version appeared under the name “cayenne cheese fingers” in Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management. Southern cooks helped make the cheese straw a familiar party food, often serving it alongside dips, cocktails, or holiday spreads.