Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas mark 6. Make up the two batches separately. In a large bowl rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips, until it resembles bread crumbs (or a food processor can be used with the 'pulse setting'). Stir in grated cheddar and thyme.

Create a well in the centre and add whisked egg or water a little at a time, combining the wet and dry ingredients to create a dough. Add enough of the wet so that the mix comes together to form a smooth dough, that's not too sticky. If you have any egg left, keep it for brushing the straws before they go into the oven.

Knead the dough just a little to bring it together, then place onto a lightly floured surface. Roll lightly into a rectangle and cut into 12 even squares. Repeat with the second batch. The less the dough is handled, the lighter the cheese straws will be.

To create the plait, take one of the 12 brown squares of dough, and roll into a long thin even sausage shape with your hands on the worktop, about the thickness of a straw. Do the same with one of the white squares of dough. Now plait the two strips together. Finally, make a curve at the top to create a cane shape, and place onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of your dough, until you have 12 beautiful canes.

For best results lightly brush with a little whisked egg just before they go into the oven. This will give a wonderful golden shine but it is optional. Bake for around 15 minutes or until golden.

If you like you could make just one batch of dough and shape into long straws, short fingers, or twists or roll it out and cut out Christmas shapes. These tasty cheese straws make a delicious snack for little ones (or big ones) any time of day - for a little twist; try them dipped in our homemade Christmas chestnut hummous. They also make great gifts - simply store them in a recycled jar or pretty tin with some tissue paper and ribbon. Just ensure the container is air tight to keep them at their best.