Irresistible Cheese Straws

These cheesy strips of deliciousness are super yum on a platter, dipped in hummus or as an addition to smoko. 

There are some smells that instantly take you back to childhood, and for many of us, warm cheese straws baking in the oven is one of them.

Long before café cabinets and packets of fancy crackers, there was Mum standing at the kitchen bench in an apron dusted with flour, rolling out cheese straw dough while the kettle boiled in the background. Usually it was done quickly — between hanging washing or getting ready for whatever the day held — but somehow a warm tray of cheese straws still appeared like magic.

At What’s For Smoko, these homemade cheese straws feel like pure nostalgia. The sort of thing kept in an old biscuit tin covered in salt, ready for after-school hunger, on a platter or a plate for a country function.

You’d always know when they were nearly ready. The smell of melting cheese and buttery pastry would drift through the house, pulling everyone into the kitchen “just to check them”. And of course nobody ever waited for them to cool properly. Fingers burnt, crumbs everywhere, someone always sneaking the crooked ones straight off the tray.

That’s the thing about old-fashioned recipes like cheese straws — they carry memories with them.

For rural families especially, recipes like this weren’t about entertaining or presentation. They were practical, filling and made from what was already in the pantry. A block of tasty cheese, flour, butter and a bit of care could turn into something that made the whole house feel warm.

And perhaps that’s why cheese straws still matter now.

Because making them today feels a little like stepping back into those kitchens again. The same smell. The same golden edges. The same habit of eating three before they even make it into the tin.

They’re still perfect for smoko, lunchboxes and soup season, but more than anything, they’re comfort food in the truest sense. Familiar. Humble. Reliable.

The kind of recipe Mum never needed to write down because she’d made it so many times she simply knew.

And now we make them for our own families — hoping somewhere amongst the crumbs and warm trays, those memories carry on too.

As a kid these were what we were handed by mum for our plate for school concerts and hockey discos. 
There is nothing healthy about these. And mums recipe actually includes more butter, plus more salt on top - so I’ve gone easy on you. 

The recipe is incredibly easy. Simply place all the ingredients in a bowl and gradually add cold water - enough to make a soft dough. 

Turn out onto a floured surface and gently shape into a rectangle. 
Trim the edges to make a straight line (these pieces can be re-rolled).

Roll out until about 5mm in thickness. 
Cut into strips and bake on a lined tray with edges (the butter and cheese do melt and create a mess).

Bake at 200 until golden and cheesy. Once out of the oven cool the cheese straws on a layer of paper towels.