Cheddar Cheese Straws
I made us yummy snacks!
And guess what? They’re super easy to make, and way too addictive—bet’cha can’t just have one!
Actually, I hadn’t even planned to make these. I was going to share with you some black pepper shortbread cookies today, but they turned out way too ugly. I was trying to make them into cute little cubes (for the pop factor…aka the ability to just pop them in your mouth, haha), but they turned into horrible, little puddles in the oven.
Don’t get me wrong, they’re still delicious…but they look like this, so obviously the recipe could use some work…
But, I guess it was a happy accident, because then my brain turned to another savory cracker thing and threw together these cheese straws. And they are awesome.
They’re buttery, a bit nutty from aged cheddar, and carry a slight kick in the form of a pinch of cayenne. There’s also a secret ingredient that gives these a really interesting and addictive flavor—nutmeg! It sounds a little strange, but it adds a slightly sweet and warm note.
These make awesome hors d’oeuvres for a party (it is that time of the year!), but they’re also just great to have around the house to snack on (or maybe not so great because of how easy it is to eat like 7 at once?).
I like eating ’em on their own, but I bet they’d be a ridiculously tasty accompaniment to a bowl of tomato soup. They’d also look pretty cool on a cheese platter!
Oh, and if you want some more tasty homemade cracker ideas, might I suggest these, these, or these?
PrintCheddar Cheese Straws
Yield: about 2 dozen cheese straws
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces aged cheddar, grated (I used a white aged cheddar, but you can use orange!)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into tablespoons
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp milk
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure your oven racks are in the upper and lower third of the oven.
- Combine all of the ingredients, except the milk, in the bowl of your food processor, and pulse until crumbs form. Add in the milk and pulse until a ball forms.
- Roll the dough out into a 1/8"-thick rectangle, on a lightly floured surface. Using sharp knife, cut into 1/4" to 1/2"-wide strips. Place the strips onto unlined baking sheets, and use your fingers to bend them back and forth to create squiggles. (These won't get much wider, so you don't have to worry too much about leaving a whole lot of space between them, but I still used 2 baking sheets.)
- Bake for 15 minutes until golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet prior to serving.
recipe adapted from here
Oh my gosh, cheese straws are my absolute FAV!! These look so buttery and delicious, Rachael! I’ll take your whole batch please. 😀
Rachael replied: — November 19th, 2014 @ 10:56 am
Cheese straws are like the perfect snack-y food, right?
Thanks, Sarah!
Oh my gosh, I love these!! The little squiggles are so cool – I will definitely have to give these a try 🙂
Rachael replied: — November 19th, 2014 @ 10:56 am
They’re so surprisingly easy!
Giiirrrrlllll THESE LOOK GOOD!!!!!
Rachael replied: — November 19th, 2014 @ 10:57 am
They might be a little *too* good, because I can’t keep my paws off of them, haha!
Thanks, Liz!
Rach, these look great! Any recommendations for cheese substitutions? Around here cheddar only comes in radioactive-orange-goop-form in a bag. Not exactly appetizing.
Rachael replied: — November 20th, 2014 @ 12:04 pm
Haha yikes that doesn’t sound appetizing! I think Gruyere would make a really great substitute, or Emmental or Jarlsberg would probably be good, though not very sharp.
You’re definitely right–I couldn’t have just one! One batch is more like it. And nutmeg does give savory dishes a really nice flavor!
Rachael replied: — November 21st, 2014 @ 10:11 am
Haha, seriously! I had to get them out of the house because I COULD NOT stop eating them! I made Mikey take them to work!
Nutmeg + cheese I think just works so well!
These look so great! I can totally see the nutmeg working–it’s a classic in cheese fondue, so why not cheese straws? Happy accident indeed!
Rachael replied: — November 22nd, 2014 @ 3:19 pm
That’s true! Adding nutmeg to cheesy things is kinda a classic French pairing. Thanks, Elizabeth!
Love those bendy squiggles, yum! Looks absolutely amazing!
Rachael replied: — November 22nd, 2014 @ 3:20 pm
Thanks, Alessandra!