Gruyère Cheese Twists (Torsades au Fromage)

Known as “Torsades au Fromage”, these Gruyère Cheese Twists are the perfect crowd pleasers to serve with the French apéro – the traditional pre-dinner drinks and snacks in France. Made of flaky puff pastry twisted with nutty Gruyère Cheese, they are quickly assembled and deliver big buttery and cheesy flavors. If you’re looking for a no-stress finger food recipe for your next get-together, this is the one!

Cheese Twists don’t need to look perfect.

I would even say, the more rustic they look, the better! When cutting and twisting them, some grated cheese will likely slip out and the twists won’t look even or perfect – and that is fine! 

Rather than a polished look, cheese twists should focus on great taste. This is achieved by using a great-quality puff pastry and Swiss-made Gruyère cheese. So, here are a few notes on puff pastry and Gruyère cheese to guide you. 

Notes about Puff Pastry 

This recipe works well with both homemade puff pastry and store-bought pastry. It is of course always best to make your own puff-pastry, as you can control exactly which ingredients are used. A homemade puff pastry will also almost always be more buttery and flaky than store-bought. That being said, in total honesty (like most people) I often rely on store-bought puff pastry for convenience and to save time. 

• If you wish to make your own puff pastry from scratch

I recommend the rough puff pastry recipe from Clotilde Dusoulier. It is easy to make, uses lots of butter (in true French fashion) and turns out great. The Kitchn also has a detailed, step-by-step article on making homemade puff pastry. 

• If you are going for store-bought

My best advice is to seek out an all-butter puff pastry. You can do so by simply looking at the ingredient list on the pastry package. Puff pastries made with oil and/or shortening (partially or fully) will almost always taste inferior than all-butter. The best all-butter frozen puff pastry brand I recommend is Dufour. 

Pre-made store-bought puff pastry almost always comes frozen. I recommend you take it out of your freezer the day prior to baking, and let it thaw overnight in the fridge. A slow overnight thawing will prevent cracks in the sheet when you unroll it. 

Once you are ready to make the cheese twists, take the puff pastry out of the fridge and act fast when rolling out the sheet and forming the twists. Puff pastry warms up quickly and can get sticky. 

Notes about Gruyère

Gruyère cheese, hard Swiss-made cheese, is subtly salty with lovely nutty notes which pairs wonderfully with the buttery flaky pastry. In France, Gruyère is affordable and widely available. It often comes pre-grated, sold in individual pouches. In the US/Canada,  Gruyère is a bit more costly than your average block of cheddar, but well worth it to use in this recipe. 

When seeking Gruyère at your grocery store, choose one that bears an AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) seal. This sign on the label shows the cheese was made according to strict government mandated rules and quality standards. 

If you can’t get your hand on Gruyère, you can use another hard Swiss-made cheese, such an Emmental – which should also bear an AOP seal. 

Can you prepare these Gruyère Cheese twists ahead? 

Yes, you can prepare these cheese twists ahead, up to the point when they go in the oven to bake. Once the twists are assembled and formed, you can transfer the unbaked twists to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 1 day. 

When you are ready to bake and serve the twists, pre-heat your oven and transfer the twists right from the fridge to the oven. That way if you are hosting and serving guests, you will serve freshly baked twists while not spending much time in the kitchen. 

How to store these Gruyère Cheese twists? 

List most puff pastry baked goods, these Gruyère Cheese twists are best enjoyed right when they come out of the oven. Puff pastry loses its crispness after a few short hours. However, if you have any leftovers, you can still store them in the refrigerator or in the freezer.

• In the refrigerator: store the (cooled) baked twists in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. I don’t recommend re-heating them in the microwave, which can make the pastry soft. Instead, reheat the twists in the oven for about 5-10 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until crisp. 
• In the freezer: store the (cooled) baked twists in a freezer-friendly airtight container and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the twists thaw in the fridge before heating them through in the oven. 

I hope you’ll love this Gruyère Cheese Twists (Torsades au Fromage) recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. 

More cheesy recipes you may like: 

• Classic French Quiche Lorraine
• Ham Cheese & Olive Bread
• Belgian Endive and Ham Gratin (Endives Au Jambon)
• Alsatian Onion Tart
• Spinach and Cheese Quiche 
• Roasted Brussels Sprout Gruyere Gratin

Gruyère Cheese Twists (Torsades au Fromage)

Print Recipe

Serves: 12 Twists Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 12 Minutes 12 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.6/5

( 9 voted )

Ingredients

1 sheet (400g) all-butter puff pastry, thawed overnight in the fridge
1 cup (4oz/100g) shredded Gruyère (or Emmental)
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt flakes
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp (15ml) milk

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 400°F (205°C) with a rack in the middle. Line up two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Step 1 – Unfold your puff pastry sheet on a working surface. Roll out the pastry lightly with a rolling pin to smooth out the folds/creases and to reach a square of roughly 18"x18" (45.5cmx45.5cm) and about 1/8-inch in thickness. 

Step 2 – Sprinkle the grated cheese and 1 teaspoon black pepper in an even layer over the right half of the sheet, and leaving a 1-inch border on the right edge. Brush ½ tbsp milk onto the border. Fold the left side of the pastry over the right cheesy half and press onto border to seal. 

Step 3 – Mix egg yolk with remaining ½ tbsp milk, and brush this egg wash onto the top of the pastry. Sprinkle with remaining black pepper and the sea salt flakes. 

Step 4 – Cut the pastry into ½ inch (1.25cm) wide strips, using a pizza cutter or very sharp knife. Hold strips by each end and twist (about 5-6 turns per strip). Transfer twisted strips onto prepared baking sheets. 

Step 5 – Bake each sheet for 12-14 minutes, until twists are crisp and golden. Serve immediately. 

 

Notes...

Variations: Instead of black pepper, you can experiment with adding chopped fresh herbs (chive, parsley), dried herbs (thyme, rosemary) or spices (cayenne pepper, paprika).