I love home made food favors. I think the act of making a gift is an intimate and loving gesture from a bride to her guests. Here in the South, cheese straws are a popular, if somewhat old-fashioned, party snack. In November of 2009, Oprah published this new twist on a Southern party favorite. Two or three, wrapped in tissue paper with ribbon on each side and a monogram in the center, these cheese straws would make a delightful favor, especially for a DIY southern bride.
The recipe from http://www.oprah.com/recipe/omagazine/recipes/200911-omag-recipe-jam-straws is simple enough:
Ingredients:
Makes 24 straws
- 1 puff pastry sheet (1/2 of 17.3-ounce package)
- 1/4 cup jam (such as blackberry or currant), preferably seedless
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Roll pastry sheet to a 12″ x 16″ rectangle. Cut crosswise into 2 (8″ x 12″) rectangles. Brush 1 rectangle with jam and place second sheet on top. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle half on top. Press in gently with a rolling pin. Flip pastry over and repeat on other side. Cut pastry into 24 (1/2-inch-wide) strips; leave flat or twist. Transfer to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, keeping 1 1/2 inches between them. Chill tray for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°.
Bake until pastry is cooked through and golden, about 10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes.