Cheddar Cheese Straws

Enough sweetness...let's try savoury. These are one of my favourite things to snack on. Plus they don't really take too much time to put together. They also look quite elegant at a dinner or cocktail party.

You could also improvise and add other ingredients such as diced jalapeno, red peppers, chili spice, etc. I used to make thousands of these when I was at another bakery. We would also brush the straws with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt on them before they went into the oven. Very addictive!!!

I also find these taste even better the day after they're baked.

Bet you can't eat just one!

Cheddar Cheese Straws

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 oz margarine or butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or freshly ground black pepper

9 oz old cheddar cheese grated

2 large eggs

milk to mix if necessary

Directions:

Sift flour, salt, pepper and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.

Rub in fat (margarine or butter) until fine and crumbly.

Add grated cheese. Add beaten eggs and mix until all flour is absorbed and dough is soft and light. Add a little milk if dry.

Roll out, not too thin, and cut into strips about 1 inch wide and 4-6 inches in length.

Twist and place on parchment lined baking sheets or silpat or well greased sheets.

Bake at 350F for 12 - 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Hints:

Make sure you use an old or matured cheese. You want a nice strong flavour.

If you use cayenne pepper, make sure you measure exactly 1/4 tsp as it's very hot and too much would make it inedible, but it does bring out the flavour of the cheese better than ordinary black pepper.

Recipe courtesy of Mr. Kidd