Cheese Straws - perfect for hungry babies!

Well probably not perfect for hungry babies, but perfect for my hungry (not so little anymore) baby. A turned 9 months the other day and is no longer interested in spoonfuls of offerings, she likes to feed herself and is quite strong willed about her tastes. A likes these because she can pull them apart and eat bits of them, plus she can hold it herself. I like them because they are easy to take out with me!

They are also fab for when something is needed quick for the children to snack on after school, I got fed up with them raiding the larder for crisps and junk because they couldn't wait 5 minutes for something to be made. This was a really easy solution. They love them dipped in sour cream!

I started making batches of cheese straws because the freeze really well and I just take a few out at a time when I know I'll be pushed for time. You can use the basic recipe and then jazz them up with poppy/sesame seeds or different cheeses if you like.

Cheese Straws


50g self-raising flour
Small pinch of paprika
25g butter
80g grated red leicester/or normal cheddar
20g grated parmesan


Preheat oven to 200C/gas 6.

Mix ingredients together, either by hand or in a food processor. It might look a bit crumbly but that's OK. Knead it all together.

Roll it out fairly thinly (about 1.5/2cm thick) onto a floured board. Cut into short strips and put on a non-stick, greased or lined tray in the oven for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.