Stangli?? What's that? Sounds sooooo foreign! They are nothing more than not-to-be-missed CHEESE STICKS. Stangli, how we call them in Hungarian derives from the German root 'stange,' which refers to a pole or a stick. The recipe for this easy, savory snack seems too simple to even warrant a write-up. If it weren't for my love of these delicious cheesy sticks, I would have forgone the effort. But I grew up munching on them from the time that I first started eating table food. In fact, my father, now deceased, carried his favorite photo of me in his wallet for MANY DECADES, as evidenced by its poor condition shown below, which shows me munching on a STANGLI at the early age of one! I salvaged it from his wallet upon his passing. To this day, stangli are one of the first things I reach for when I get home from work and savor an aperitif with a little pre-dinner snack. Hence, I can honestly say that I am stuck on them!
The ingredients are few and their creation is effortless. My mother whips up batches of these by the dozens ... she is a genuine Stangli Factory! The family, Hungarians, Americans, roommates, boyfriends, girlfriends, and, LOL, even dogs, LOVE them!
Stangli recipe
Ingredients: (makes 2 dozen sticks)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1/2 Tbsp salt
1 (8 oz.) block of cream cheese
1 cup butter-flavored Crisco
1 egg yolk
shredded parmesan cheese
In a large bowl, mix the flour, grated parmesan cheese, salt, cream cheese, and Crisco. Knead until well combined. Divide into two logs.
Dust a wooden cutting board with a little flour. Roll out the logs one at a time and shape them into rectangles, roughly measuring 5" x 13".
Baste the surface with a beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.
Cut into 1/2" slices with a serrated wheel and place slices onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes or until golden color.
Once baked, place onto a cooling rack and enjoy!!
I prefer to top my cheese sticks with shredded parmesan. Other tasty topping options are caraway seeds or coarse salt. These savory snacks pair very well with wine or beer and can be served as an accompaniment to an aperitif, similar to nuts and chips. While typically eaten at room temperature, they should be refrigerated if stored for short periods but can also be frozen.
I hope you give them a try and love them as much as I do!
