Cheese Straws With Crushed Red Pepper Food

SPICY CHEDDAR CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Pulse first 5 ingredients in a food processor at 5-second intervals until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add half-and-half, and process 10 seconds or until dough forms a ball. (Dough may be wrapped in plastic wrap, sealed in a ziplock plastic freezer bag, and chilled up to 3 days.)
• Preheat oven to 350°. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface; divide in half. Roll each half into a 12- x 8-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). Cut dough into 3/4-inch-wide strips using a sharp knife or fluted pastry wheel, dipping knife in flour after each cut to ensure clean cuts. Place strips on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are well browned; cool on baking sheets on wire racks 30 minutes.

SOUTHERN CHEDDAR & HERB CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set two oven racks in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cheese, flour, salt, red pepper flakes and herbs. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Cut the butter into ½-inch chunks and add to the flour/cheese mixture. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with some pea-size clumps of butter within. Add the heavy cream and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together into a mass.
• Lightly flour a work surface and dump the dough on top. Dust the top of the dough with flour and use your hands to shape into a rectangle about 1-inch high. Cut the rectangle in half.
• Dust the work surface with more flour and roll each block of dough into a 8 x 10-inch rectangle about ⅛-inch thick (turn the dough as you go and add more flour as necessary so it doesn't stick). Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, trim the edges straight without sacrificing too much dough, then cut the dough into thin strips about ¼-inch wide. Transfer the strips to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about a ¼-inch of space between them. Bake the straws for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden on top and a rich golden color on the bottom, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back midway through. Remove from the pans from the oven and set on a rack to cool. Carefully transfer the cheese straws to a plate and serve.
• Note: The cheese straws will keep well in a covered container for a few days.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The Dough can be Frozen for up to 3 Months: Shape the dough into 2 rectangles, about 1 inch thick, wrap each securely in plastic wrap, and place them in a sealable bag. When ready to bake, remove the dough from the freezer, thaw it until pliable, and then proceed with recipe. To Freeze After Baking: Let the cheese straws cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove them from the container and let them come to room temperature.

PEPPER JACK CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Put the softened cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat until the mixture has the consistency of whipped cream, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Sift 1 cup of the flour together with the salt, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne in a large bowl. Stir in the thyme. Gradually add the seasoned flour to the cheese mixture by large spoonfuls, beating well after each addition. Add the remaining 1 cup unseasoned flour incrementally until the dough is somewhat stiff but still soft enough to be pushed through a cookie press (you may not need to add all the flour).
• Lightly spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray. Put a portion of the dough into a cookie press fitted with the star tip and press the dough onto the cookie sheets in long strips that run the length of the pans (see Cook's Note). Repeat with the remaining dough until the cookie sheets are full. Bake, flipping halfway through, until the straws are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.
• With your hands or a sharp knife, break or cut the strips into 3-inch lengths. Use a flat, thin spatula or egg turner to remove the cheese straws from the pan. Allow them to cool on a wire rack. Once they are completely cool, serve or store in a tightly covered container.

EASY CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in cheese until blended. Combine flour, salt and cayenne; stir into cheese mixture until a dough forms. Roll into a 15x6-in. rectangle. Cut into thirty 6-in. strips. Gently place strips 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets., Bake until lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Put the softened cheese and butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer. Using the heaviest mixer paddle attachment, beat until the mixture has the consistency of whipped cream, 15 to 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, sift 3 cups of the flour with the salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Gradually add the seasoned flour to the cheese mixture by large spoonfuls, beating well after each addition. Add the remaining 1 cup unseasoned flour incrementally until the dough is somewhat stiff but still soft enough to be pushed through a cookie press; you may not need to add all the flour.
• Lightly spray 4 cookie sheets with cooking spray. Put a portion of the dough into a cookie press fitted with the star tube and press the dough onto a cookie sheet in long strips that run the length of the pan. Repeat until the pan is full. Bake until straws are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.
• With your hands or a sharp knife, break or cut the long strips into 3-inch lengths. Use a flat, thin spatula or an egg turner to remove the cheese strips from the pan. Allow them to cool on a wire rack. When they are completely cool, serve or store in a tightly covered container.

CAYENNE CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Grate the cheese on the medium holes of a grater to make 4 cups. Cover the grated cheese and leave out with the butter until at room temperature, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. (Note: You need to grate your own cheese here--no pre-grated.)
• When ready to make the cheese straws, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
• Mix the flour, salt, cayenne, mustard and black pepper in a medium bowl.
• Put the cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until fairly smooth. Slowly beat in the flour mixture. Check the consistency; it should be just stiff enough to pipe. If not, add a little more flour.
• Scrape the dough into a piping bag or resealable plastic bag. Use a 1/4-inch tip or cut a 1/4-inch hole in the plastic bag. Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheets in 5- to 6-inch strips. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

CHEESE WAFERS

Steps:

• In a medium size mixing bowl, blend together butter or margarine and flour. Mix in the Cheddar cheese, salt, red pepper, hot pepper sauce, and pecans. Form the dough into a roll, wrap in parchment paper, and refrigerate over night.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Slice dough into very thin wafers. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crisp.

CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, combine cheese, butter, flour, salt and red pepper, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add half-and-half, and process on low speed until dough forms a ball.
• On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured pin, roll dough to a rectangle 8 by 10 inches and 1/8 inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut dough laterally into thin strips, 1/4 to 1/3 inch wide. Gently transfer each ''straw'' to an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving a 1/4-inch space between them, and bake 17 minutes, or until the ends are barely browned. Let cool.

CHEESE STRAWS WITH CRUSHED RED PEPPER

Steps:

• 1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor; pulse in 5-second intervals until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add half-and-half, and process 10 seconds or until dough forms a ball.
• 2. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and roll into an 8- x 10-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). Cut dough with a sharp knife into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-wide strips, dipping knife in flour after each cut to ensure clean cuts. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
• 3. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until ends are slightly browned. Cool on baking sheets on a wire rack 30 minutes. Break into desired lengths.
• Note: To make cheese rounds, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness, and cut with a 1 1/2-inch round cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake and cool as directed. Freeze baked cheese straws or rounds in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic freezer bag up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.