Simplest Cheese Straws

Simplest Cheese Straws

Makes 5 to 10 servings

Time: 20 minutes

Easy, light, and quite irresistible. Consider adding fresh or dried herbs to the mix, and use any cheese you like, as long as it is hard enough to grate.

1 lb Cheddar or other hard, flavorful cheese

2 C (about 9 oz) all-purpose flour

Pinch cayenne

8 T (1 stick) chilled butter; plus a little more for greasing the baking sheet

Few drops ice water, if necessary

Coarse salt (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 450�F. 2. Grate the cheese (you can use the food processor for this), then remove the cheese from the bowl. Add the flour and cayenne to the bowl and pulse. Cut the 8 T butter into pieces, then toss it in. Process until butter and flour are combined. 3. Remove the dough from the bowl and stir in the cheese. Knead by  hand until it comes together, adding a few drops of ice water (no more than   1 T) if necessary. (You may prepare the recipe in advance up to this  point; wrap well in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days before   proceeding.) 4. Roll out into a rectangle about � inch thick, then cut into strips as long as you like and about � inch wide. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and sprinkle with the optional salt. Bake until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Cookbook: How to Cook Everything

Author: By Mark Bittman

Typed by: Susan

Contributed by:

 * Catsrecipes Y-Group