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Very Special Cheese Straws

Source of Recipe

From "The Heritage of Southern Cooking" by Camille Glenn


Recipe Introduction

(The most deluxe of all the cheese straws.)

List of Ingredients

• 1 pound aged sharp Cheddar cheese
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour


Recipe

Grate the cheese by hand or in a food processor. Cut the butter into pieces and blend it with the cheese, in the processor or with an electric mixer, until smooth. Add the cayenne pepper, salt, and flour. Mix well. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour, so it will be easier to handle.

You can prepare the straws with a cookie press, using the thin serrated ribbon blade to create 3-inch straws. Or you can form the dough into small balls, then roll them into thin rounds. Use the tines of a fork to etch grooves into the rounds.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Lay the straws on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake until done, about 30 minutes. The straws should have a slight tinge of brown on the bottom but not on the top. If they brown too much, they will toughen.

Makes 90 straws.