Line a baking tray with parchment (baking) paper.

On a lightly floured cold surface, roll out the puff pastry dough into a 12x18-inch sheet. Carefully remove the sheet and set aside. Clear any flour from the work surface and evenly sprinkle some of the cheese on the work surface.

Place the sheet on the work surface with the 18-inch side perpendicular to you. Roll the sheet slightly, to even out the surface. Brush egg-wash, on half of the perpendicular side (6x18-inch area). Sprinkle half of the cheese, salt and pepper on top of the brushed egg-wash. Fold the plain half sheet over the other half. Brush the egg-wash on top of the sheet and sprinkle the remaining cheese. Roll the sheet slightly, to seal the cheese in the dough.

Cut 3/4-inch wide strips parallel to you. Twist the ends of the strips 3-4 times in opposite directions to make spiral. Place the strips on the prepared tray, spacing them 1-inch apart and press the ends down to seal. Cover the tray with a parchment paper and refrigerate for 35-40 minutes.

Set the oven to 180°C/350°F and bake the straws until golden brown, about 15-17 minutes. Let the straws cool completely on a wire rack. Store the straws in an airtight container for up to a week.

Variations: Substitute parmesan with sharp-cheddar. Try different seasoning such as garlic, oregano, red-chili powder and cumin.

Masala Straws:
1/3 cup Chana-Daal – soaked
2 tsp Oil
1 tsp Cumin (Jeera)
1/2 tsp Red-chili powder
1/4 tsp Asafetida (Hing)
1/2 cup Water
3/4 tsp Salt

Form chana-daal paste in a food processor. Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin, red-chili powder and asafetida and let cook for about a minute. Add the chana-daal paste, water and salt, cover and cook until the masala is dry and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool.

Substitute the cheese and seasoning with this masala in the above recipe.