I've been meaning to try to make cheese straws for a while. They are so yummy and crispy. But they seem so fussy and hard to make--and as you know I always try to get to super-simple. Well, these are so simple to make and taste so good, they won't last until they cool. You can make them to impress people at dinner parties (which I rarely hold), or you can make them as a snack just for fun.
I adapted this from a recipe in my favorite magazine, Garden and Gun. As a Southern lifestyle magazine, they went more traditional with white flour and hot peppers (if you've had a cheese straw down South, you know they pack a punch!). While I would love that, my kids would cry and that would annoy me, so no hot peppers, no crying, and no regrets!
I am not calling these straws because I am such an unfussy cook that getting a straw look takes too much work. I found that making little balls is much easier, and tastes just as yummiful!
Cheese Crisps
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (organic, of course)
4 Tablespoons butter (softened)
6 ounces cheddar cheese (or ¾ cup)
¼ cup Romano cheese
1 egg yolk
¼ cup olive oil
Salt
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add all the ingredients and mix together in a bowl, like you are making pie dough.
3. Roll out with a rolling pin on a floured surface, and knead it by folding it over a few times. It should feel soft, and even greasy! Fold and press a few more times.
4. Roll into little balls whatever size you want--teeny-tiny or cookie-size--and press gently.
5. Sprinkle tops with salt (just a little!)
6. Bake for about 20 minutes (keep an eye on them; smaller ones will take less time, larger, more--you want them browned and bubbling).
7. Put on a rack on parchment paper to cool, and eat 'em up!
Of course, feel free to doctor these up with hot peppers, herbs, or different cheeses!
Related Links:
How to Make Crackers - Maria's Farm Country Kitchen
Prepare a Poison-Free Picnic - Rodale.com
Sunflowers, A Growing Guide - Organic Gardening
For more from Maria Rodale, go to www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com.