Witch Broomsticks
The fastest thing you can put on a table: a block of cheese slit into fine strands and a pretzel stick for a handle. Nothing holds it together but the cheese itself, which grips the stick. Make them last — a pretzel left in cheese goes soft and droops within the hour, while fresh brooms stand up straight.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Servings
- 6
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 95 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
No chives: a thin strip of sweet pepper or a dill stem will wrap around, though it will not knot.
Makes: 12 brooms
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Cut the cheese
Cut the cold block into 12 rectangles about 3 × 2 cm. Cold cheese holds its shape; warm cheese crumbles under the knife.
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Step 2: Make the bristles
Along one long side of each rectangle, cut close, parallel slits two-thirds of the way through, stopping short of the far edge. The finer the strands, the more it reads as a broom.
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Step 3: Add the handle
Push a pretzel stick about a centimetre into the uncut side. The cheese grips it; nothing else is needed.
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Step 4: Tie it
Dip the chives in boiling water for 5 seconds so they bend instead of snapping. Tie one around each broom where the cheese meets the stick and knot it.
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Step 5: Fan and serve
Spread the strands with your fingers so the bristles fan out, dust the board with paprika and serve straight away.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Assemble 20–30 minutes before serving. Any longer and the pretzel draws moisture out of the cheese, goes soft and bends.
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Variation
Cheddar makes brooms that look warmer and more like straw; smoked cheese gives far more flavour.
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Swap
No chives: a thin strip of sweet pepper or a dill stem will wrap around, though it will not knot.
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Storage
This is a one-evening snack — cheese dries and yellows at the cut edges within hours. Cut the cheese ahead if you like, but assemble at the last minute.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 6 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 95 kcal | 570 kcal |
| Protein | 6 g | 36 g |
| Fat | 5 g | 30 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7 g | 42 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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