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Cheese Straws

Cheese straws are a slightly spicy bread-type snack made from a seasoned cheddar cheese dough. Though cheese straws are a traditional English food, they also have become popular throughout the Southern US. Some historians trace the dish’s origins to the British biscuit while others claim it got its start as a hard bread or biscotti from Italy or Spain. Legend has it that a frugal cook created the dish from leftover biscuit dough and cheese. Today cheese straws are enjoyed as a snack or appetizer on their own or with a variety of dipping sauces such as spicy sour cream, marinara, guacamole, or artichoke dip.   

Recipe Servings: 8

Prep Time
40 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal

Ingredients

  • 3 bricks (10 oz each) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and at room temperature
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted and divided
  • 2 tsp salt
  • ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
  • ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
  • Dash of garlic powder
  • Nonstick cooking spray, as needed

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Combine the cheese and butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer.
  3. Beat, using the heaviest mixer paddle attachment, for about 15 minutes until the mixture has the consistency of whipped cream.
  4. Whisk together 3 cups flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl.
  5. Add the flour mixture to the cheese mixture gradually, beating well after each addition.
  6. Add the remaining 1 cup flour incrementally until the dough is somewhat stiff but still soft enough to be pushed through a cookie press. All the flour may not be needed.
  7. Grease two large baking sheets using nonstick cooking spray.
  8. Put a portion of the dough into a cookie press fitted with the star tube and press it onto a baking sheet in long strips that run the length of the pan. Repeat this process until all the dough is used. If a cookie press is not available, the dough can be divided and rolled into long strips.
  9. Bake for about 20 minutes until straws are golden brown and crisp.
  10. Cut the long strips into 3-inch lengths and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
  11. Serve or store in an airtight container.

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