Cheesy Twists

Step 1 -Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, then preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 2 -Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 3 -Lightly dust a work surface with the flour.

Step 4 -Unroll the puff pastry sheets onto the prepared surface.

Step 5 -Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry sheets out lightly to smooth out the creases.

Step 6 -In a small bowl, add the egg yolk and the water and whisk until combined.

Step 7 -Using a pastry brush, brush 1/2 of the egg wash across the surface of 1 of the pastry sheets.

Step 8 -Sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese over the egg-washed surface in an even layer.

Step 9 -Using your fingertips, evenly sprinkle 1/2 of the paprika and 1/2 of the cayenne pepper over the cheese layer.

Step 10 -Season the cheese layer with the salt and the black pepper, being generous with the pepper and conservative with the salt if you are using a saltier cheese.

Step 11 -Place the second sheet of the puff pastry over the top of the cheese layer, aligning the edges and pressing gently to flatten them.

Step 12 -Brush the surface of the pastry sheet with the remaining egg wash.

Step 13 -Sprinkle the top of the puff pastry evenly with the remaining cheese, the remaining paprika, and the remaining cayenne pepper.

Step 14 -Season the cheese layer with the salt and the black pepper.

Step 15 -Dust the rolling pin with the flour.

Step 16 -Gently roll the prepared rolling pin over the pastry directly over the cheese layer. Use more of the flour as needed to make sure the pastry and the rolling pin don't stick, and roll until the pastry is a long rectangle about 1/4-inch-thick.

Step 17 -Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry rectangle into 14 (1/2-inch-thick) strips.

Step 18 -Working 1 strip at a time, transfer the strips to the prepared baking sheet and twist the 2 ends of the strip in opposite directions several times.

Step 19 -Repeat until all of the dough is twisted, placing the twists about 1-inch apart on the baking sheet.

Step 20 -Bake, starting on the top rack and transferring them to the bottom rack and rotating the sheets halfway through, until the twists are golden-brown and the cheese is toasted and crisp, about 12-18 minutes.

Step 21 -Allow the twists to cool completely on the sheets.

Step 22 -Serve.