Twist and bake: Elevate your party with pastry spirals

How does one prepare cheese sticks twisted into elegant spirals? It's quite straightforward. All you require are two sheets of puff pastry and some cheddar cheese. The popular French diablotins can also be jazzed up with other ingredients. They are delicious whether served warm, cold, or even the following day.

The technique is fairly simple. Begin by cutting a sheet of puff pastry into strips. Grasp the ends with your fingers and twist them like a screw. For the desired effect, 3-4 twists are sufficient. Twisting too tightly might cause the pastry to tear or become too thick, which could hinder baking properly in the oven.

This snack's name derives from the French word diablotin, which translates as imp or little devil. This might refer to its shape, as the twisting creates slightly pointed ends on the cheese sticks. Perhaps they even resemble devil's tails?

Some suggest that the name diablotins is linked to the spicy flavour of the sticks. The French frequently flavour them with hot seasonings like chilli pepper.

To make 24 cheese sticks, you will need:

• 2 sheets of puff pastry (about 370 grams each),
• 1 egg,
• about 250 grams of cheddar cheese,
• optional ground hot pepper,
• a teaspoon of salt.

Instructions:

1. Unroll the pastry onto baking paper and brush with a beaten egg.
2. Sprinkle with ground pepper and grated cheddar cheese.
3. Cover with the second sheet of pastry, press lightly, and then cut along the shorter side into 24 strips, each about 1.5 centimetres wide.
4. Gently take each strip by the ends and twist into a spiral by turning 4 times.
5. Brush the prepared sticks with the remaining egg and sprinkle with salt.
6. Place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.