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
Category:Cathy's Recipes