Oh, sweet cheeses!

WHEN you have school-going children who are always hungry right after classes, you tend to run out of ideas of what sort of snacks to feed them.
While browsing through my cookbook collection, I came across a mini cookbook called Cakes & Treats by Betty Saw, a well-known cook and author.
Her recipe for Cheese Ropes uses few ingredients and is easy to bake.
I have, however, skipped the step of shaping each dough strip into a long and thin roll to be twisted like a rope. I cut the rolled-out dough into shorter rectangular strips, and simply twisted them in the middle. I also added some grated cheese on top of some of the strips.
These cheese twists turned out well. They tasted cheesy yet not too salty, lightly crispy outside but soft and buttery on the whole.
They make for tasty and handy snacks for school, teatime, or while on the move outdoors or on the road.
Cheese Twists
Ingredients (makes about 30 pieces)
60g butter
60g cream cheese
1 large egg
A pinch of salt
180g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
Method
1. Soften the butter and cream cheese at room temperature. Cream the butter and cheese, add the egg and salt. Combine the ingredients evenly.
2. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Mix to form a dough.
3. Roll out the dough onto a non-stick mat, or lightly-floured surface. Dough should be about ½ cm thick.
4. Cut the dough with a knife into 1.5cm x 8cm strips.
5. Twist the strips two or three times so that they are twisted in the area between both ends.
6. Place them onto a baking tray. Gently place some grated cheese on top if desired. Do not put too much as it could taste too salty, and it could also melt onto the baking tray, making it difficult to remove later.
7. Preheat the oven at 175°C.
8. Bake the cheese twists for 15 minutes, until lightly brown.
9. Remove from oven, and leave them to cool before storing in an airtight container.