Trisha Yearwood’s Cheese Straws

I love cheese.  I do.  I love it all.  Well, not the fat free cheese.  That doesn’t do it for me.  If I’m going to eat it I want it to be delicious and tasty and make my tummy happy.

If you’re a cheese lover like me then you’ll love these tasty crackery treats.

We used Tillamook Smoked Sharp Cheddar in ours because… well, do you even have to ask?  The cheese rocks.

Cheese Straws

Source: Trisha Yearwood: Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen 

* 3 10 ounce bricks sharp Cheddar Cheese, room temperature

* 1 cup butter, softened

* 4 cups flour

* 2 tsp. salt

* 1/8 tsp. black pepper

* 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

* dash of garlic powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Put softened cheese and butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Beat the cheese and butter until the mixture has the consistency of whipped cream (about 30 minutes)

Sift 3 cups of the flour, salt, garlic powder, papper and cayenne pepper. Gradually add the seasoned flour to the cheese mixture by large spoonfuls, beating well after each addition. Add the seasoned flour until the dough is somewhat stiff but still soft enough to be pushed through a cookie press. You will most likely not use all 4 cups of flour.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Put a portion of the dough into a cookie press fitter with a star tube and press the dough onto a cookie sheet in long strips that run the length of the cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. With a sharp knife, cut the long strips into 3 inch lengths.

Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

When completely cool, store in an air tight container.

Enjoy!

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