Clementinis and festive cheese straws

Raise a toast to the holidays with these delicious Clementini cocktails which go perfectly with our yummy and easy to make festive cheese straws!

Clementinis

Ingredients

• Juice of two clementines plus a slice for garnish
• 25ml vodka chilled
• 25ml Cointreau chilled
• 125ml Prosecco, Cava or Champagne, well chilled

Method

Mix the clementine juice with vodka and Cointreau and fill a martini or wine glass to almost halfway. Top with a fizz of your choice and a slice of clementine to garnish.

Ditch the vodka and Cointreau and swap out the fizz for soda or lemonade if you’d prefer a delicious non-alcoholic alternative!

Festive cheese straws

Ingredients

• One and ½ cups of grated mixed hard cheese such as Parmesan, Pecorino Romano or aged cheddar
• Two sheets of shop-bought puff pastry, divided

Method

Step 1: Heat the oven to 375F (190C) and line two baking trays with baking paper.

Step 2: Dust the counter with ¹⁄4 cup of cheese.

Step 3: Place one sheet of puff pastry on top of the cheese.

Step 4: Top with another ¹⁄4 cup of cheese over the pastry you have just placed down

Step 5: Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry out until ¹⁄8 inch thick. This presses the cheese into the pastry and also smoothes out any seams or wrinkles.

Step 6: Fold the pastry in half.

Step 7: Top the folded pastry with an other ¹⁄4 cup of cheese.

Step 8: Roll the pastry out again until it’s about ¹⁄8 inch thick. The exact dimensions of the puff pastry don’t really matter. Aim for one side to be about ten inches in length to make longer puff pastry straws, or aim for six to eight inches for shorter straws.

Step 9: Using a knife and cutting straight down (do not saw), cut the pastry into long strips about 1-inch wide. Again, dimensions don’t really matter, but I like my long puff pastry straws to measure about ten inches.

Step 10: Transfer each strip to one of the baking sheets, spaced an inch or so apart. As you set them down, twist the ends in opposite directions to give the straws a spiraled look. If they start to untwist when you let go, gently press the ends into the parchment to make them stick.

Step 11: Chill for at least ten minutes or up to an hour. This helps firm up the straws and give them better puff in the oven.

Step 12: Bake the cheese straws for 15-25 minutes until they are puffed and crispy, feel dry to the touch, and are deep golden brown. The exact baking time will depend on the size of your straws. Begin checking straws after 15 minutes.

Step 13: Let cool until the straws are firm enough to lift from the sheet without bending. Transfer to a cooling rack or serving plate.

Step 14: Now serve the cheese straws warm, or let them cool and then keep them in an airtight container until ready to serve. Puff pastry straws are best served the same day they are made.

This page was curated by the Events and Catering teams at Green Templeton. Contact events@gtc.ox.ac.uk with reactions, comments and suggestions.