Ginger-Scallion Squiggles

By Ali Slagle

Published Dec. 9, 2024

Ginger-Scallion Squiggles
Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.
Total Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Rating
4(63)
Comments
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Crunchy, flaky and aromatic with ginger and scallion, these squiggles are a fun twist (pun intended) on the classic cheese straw. Instead of cheese, these puff pastry appetizers are studded with ginger, scallions, nori, peanuts and red pepper flakes — and instead of straight sticks, they’re curved and curled to make snake-like squiggles. Serve them at your next cocktail party, as an afternoon snack to visitors or as an appetizer before a bigger meal. They’re the most crisp the day they’re made, but can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 2 dozen
  • 3scallions, thinly sliced (½ cup)
  • 2(0.2-ounce) packs nori snack sheets, finely crushed in your hands or in a food processor
  • ⅓cup roasted, salted peanuts, finely chopped
  • 2tablespoons peeled and finely chopped ginger
  • 1teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • Salt
  • 1(14- to 16-ounce) package puff pastry, thawed but still cold
  • 1large egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)

114 calories; 8 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 58 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small bowl, stir together the scallions, nori, peanuts, ginger and crushed red pepper. Season to taste with salt.

  2. Step 2

    Cut two pieces of parchment paper each the size of a sheet pan, then place one on a work surface. Unfold the puff pastry onto the parchment (it’s OK if it’s hanging off). Brush with the beaten egg, then sprinkle evenly with half the scallion mixture. Cover with the second piece of parchment and roll with a rolling pin until the pastry is evenly flattened. Flip the pastry with the parchments so the scallion mixture is now under the pastry. Remove the top parchment, brush with more egg and sprinkle with the remaining scallion mixture. Top with the parchment and roll to an even ⅛-inch thick. Remove the top parchment and move it to a sheet pan.

  3. Step 3

    Cut the pastry in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise into 1-inch-thick strips. Twist and curl the pastries and place on the parchment-lined sheet pan at least ½ inch apart. Press the ends onto the parchment to keep from unfurling. Once the sheet pan is full, transfer the second parchment and remaining pastry to a second sheet pan and repeat creating squiggles. If at any point the pastry gets too soft to work with, refrigerate to firm.

  4. Step 4

    Refrigerate both sheet pans of pastries until firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake until puffed and golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool before serving.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
63 user ratings
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Comments

Miriam

I wish someone would make this for me.

Tina

A bit dry. I really liked the flavor combination of the peanuts and nori and ginger, but I think I’d recommend adding in some cheese. Also my puff pastry came in two sheets, so I ended up doing two separate batches in the oven.

Lydia Sugarman

Good grief! They are supposed to be dry! They're a Japanese-ish twist on cheese straws which are...dry...even though they have cheese in them.

JG

@Joanie agreed! sprinkled salt helped a lot and I like the idea of the egg wash. more salt in the filling might have worked too. I thought there would be enough in the nori and peanuts but it needed a bit more. we also thought about some kind of savory dipping sauce if we made it again next year! Other than that it was really delicious and great texture.

Joanie

I think these can be improved with another beaten-egg coating on top of the twisted squiggles along with sprinkled salt… mine were a little bland.

Joan

Can you freeze these before baking and bake later?

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