Cheesy, smokey, buttery, crunchy…what’s not to love about
cheese straws? Cheese Straws are a fantastic nibble to add to cheese trays, set
out for happy hour, enjoy as an afternoon snack, or well, an anytime snack! Use
our Applewood smoked Smokey Cheddar to add a delicious layer of flavor to these
crackers. A cheese straw is commonly made using a cookie press, which adds
great texture to the finished cracker, but you can also cut the dough into
sticks or coins.
Cheese Straws will stay fresh in an airtight container for
about a week…if they last that long.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
16 oz (4 cups) shredded Face Rock Smokey
Cheddar, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika or cayenne pepper
4 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
Add all ingredients except flour to the bowl of a stand
mixer and mix with the paddle attachment at medium speed until fully combined.
Slowly add flour, beating just until combined. You can also use a handheld
mixer, but if you do, consider splitting the ingredients into two batches.
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
Depending on your cookie press setup, attach a large
star-shaped tip, or a disk that will create separate straws. Load the press
with dough and use the press to pipe the dough into ribbons on your baking
sheets. Cut ribbons into 2-inch pieces and straighten them gently with the side
of a knife.
If you don’t have a cookie press, you can roll out the dough
into a rectangle and cut into ½ x 2″ strips. Or you can shape the dough into 1
inch thick logs, wrap each in plastic wrap and chill. Cut the logs into ¼”
coins.
Bake at 350° for approximately 12 minutes or until lightly
browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
