Parmesan, Puff Pastry Straws

DIRECTIONS

• Note: The saltiness of Parmesan cheese varies from wheel to wheel, so be sure to taste the cheese before adding it to the mixture; If it is salty, reduce the amount of salt added to 1 t or alternatively, eliminate the added salt, entirely; You may choose to make your own pastry, or not; If not, then Tenderflake makes an excellent Puff Pastry, and you can purchase this from the frozen pastry section at your favourite Supermarket.
• Preheat Oven to 425F, with the rack in the centre.
• Place the chilled puff pastry on a lightly floured surface.
• Roll out the dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick, making a 24 x 26 inch square (if you use the packaged puff pastry, your square will be slightly smaller-- That is OK, you will have two squares) Use a sharp knife to trim the edges of the dough; this will help make the edges uniform as they cook.
• Brush the dough lightly with the melted butter.
• Sprinkle the dough with 3/4 cup of the Parmesan and 1 tsp of the salt.
• Brush the surface of the dough with the egg.
• Sprinkle with the remaining salt and Parmesan.
• Using a very sharp knife, cut the dough vertically, into 1/2 inch strips.
• Transfer 6 of the strips to a baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart.
• Grab each end of the dough strip with your fingers, and carefully stretch and twist the strip in opposite directions to create spiral strips.
• Continue with the remaining strips of dough.
• Bake until golden brown, 10- 12 minutes.
• Remove and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up.
• Using both hands, transfer the sticks to a wire rack or serving platter.