Lifestyle: Cheese straws are great for sharing

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This weekend I am fortunate enough to be invited to several parties to celebrate Christmas. Keeping with the spirit of giving delicious, homemade gifts this season, I will certainly be taking each of the hosts something made in my kitchen. So why not a batch of cheese straws? Making and sharing cheese straws is a tradition that I keep alive during the holidays. 

One of my fondest Christmas memories is learning to make cheese straws with my mother and Marianna Stoner from a recipe that they knew by heart. I recall laughing at the fact that the recipe didn’t yield the amount that we hoped because we ended up eating as many cheese straws as we made. 

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Cheese straws are a staple when it comes to homemade Southern snacks. They are light, crispy and loaded with flavor. These savory and buttery treats are somewhat simple to make and they compliment everything from charcuterie boards to fondue and soup. My favorite way to enjoy them is simply by the handfuls. Another great thing about cheese straws is that they can be made days ahead of when you need them and stored in an airtight container to be enjoyed for over a week. They make the perfect host gift, store well and are even portable enough to be shipped to friends and family as gifts. 

You will be impressed at the amount of cheese straws that this recipe makes and that’s a good thing because you are going to want to eat every single one of them. 

This recipe is also great to make with someone.

Make these wonderful cheese straws as a gift or as a part of one of your holiday traditions.

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Disappearing Cheese Straws

Kitchen Tools Needed - 

-Food Processor 

-Pastry wheel cutter knife or Pizza Cutter

-Parchment Baking Paper

-Cookie Sheets

-Rolling Pin

-Large bowl

Ingredients - 

12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (grated and softened at room temperature)

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

½ cup softened salted butter (cut into 4 pieces)

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons cold milk, half & half or heavy cream

2 dashes of Texas Pete or your favorite hot sauce

Directions - 

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of the food processor

-Add the lid and pulse the ingredients for 5 second intervals until the mixture looks like coarse and dry crumbs

-Add the milk (half & half or heavy cream) and pulse again until the mixture forms a ball

-Place the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using

-When ready to make cheese straws on a well-floured surface divide the dough into half then with a well-floured rolling pin roll each half separately into 12” x 10” rectangles

-Using a well-floured cutter or knife cut the dough into long strips no more than ½ inch wide each (flour cutter or knife for each cut to prevent sticking)

-Place the strips of dough carefully on a parchment lined cookie sheet make sure the dough strips are not touching and have room to bake

-Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the edges are golden brown

-Cool on cookie sheet for 30 minutes 

-Allow to cool completely for 2 hours before placing in a container.

Enjoy!