Cheesey Straws

What exactly IS a cheese straw? It's a straw shaped item of cheesy deliciousness. These are the adult version of a cheez-it, but much healthier. Well....maybe not a LOT healthier, but you will know exactly what is in it and there are no preservatives at least, right?

The really dangerous thing about this recipe is it can go from ingredients to your belly in less than an hour! If your friend calls up suddenly and wants to come over, you can whip these suckers up and have them waiting when your friend walks in a door. Having a party? Make these! Craving a cheese-d up treat? You got it....

So, I made these almost as soon as I found the recipe and wasn't sorry. In fact, I made two batches because I was afraid I'd eat one of the full batches by myself!!

Cheddar Cheese Straws
adapted from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 to 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (about 6 oz) sharp cheddar cheese (I used a lovely white cheddar from Wisconsin)
• 4 TBS (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
• 3/4 cup flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 TBS half-and-half (I used cream, and I imagine that whole milk would also work)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a food processor (or for those that are food processor challenged - I used my KitchenAid, and you could probably use a hand mixer too) combine the cheese, butter, flour, salt & pepper flakes in five 5-second bursts until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the half-and-half (cream/milk/etc) and process for about 10 seconds until it forms a dough ball.
3. On a lightly floured surface using a floured rolling pin, roll into an 8 x 10 rectangle that is about 1/8" thick. Cut into thin 8" strips, each 1/4" to 1/3" wide. Dipping the knife in flour every couple of cuts will make the cuts cleaner. Also, the straws can really be anywhere from 2" long to 10" long if you are challenged in your cutting.
4. Transfer the cheese straws to a parchment lined baking sheet, (you can also use an ungreased baking sheet if you don't have parchment paper on hand) leaving at least 1/4" between the straws.
5. Bake the straws on the middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the ends are barely browned. Remove from the oven and put the cookie sheet on a cooling rack to cool.
6. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy this cheesy, salt treat!!