Sally Bells Cheese Wafer Food

SOUTHERN PECAN CHEESE WAFERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce until smooth and creamy.
• Add 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika, if you're using it. Beat well, scraping the sides.
• Add the cheddar cheese and beat well, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Cover the dough and chill well, at least 2 or 3 hours or up to 3 days.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the baking sheet 1 inch apart. Press the top of each ball with a fork (if the fork sticks, coat with flour).
• Place a pecan half on top of each wafer.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until the edges are quite brown.
• Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store covered on the counter. Best served within 2 days.
• Re-heating: I made these a day in advance as Thanksgiving appetizers. They lose a bit of their crunch by day 2, so I spread them out on baking sheets and baked at 350 for about 5 minutes until they got crispy again. Worked great!

CHEESE WAFERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, cayenne, and salt in a large shallow bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal. Add the cheese and rub into the flour-butter mixture gently with your fingertips until a small bit of dough, when pinched together, will hold its shape. Roll into 3/4-inch balls, place 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets, then flatten into rounds 1/4-inch thick by pressing with a flat-bottomed glass that has been dipped into flour. (You'll have to keep dipping the glass into flour to keep the dough from sticking to it.) Bake uncovered 10 to 12 minutes until pale tan. Transfer the wafers at once to wire racks to cool, then store airtight.