Cheese Straws

My son claims that he does not like cheese.  He absolutely refuses to eat it.  Give him a cheese sandwich and he will purse his lips, and turn away shaking his head as he recoils in horror.  He will go as far as to leave the table hungry.

But with the “faultless” logic and reasoning of a 7 year old he adores cheese straws.  Left to his own devices (which for the record I can say he is not) he would eat the whole batch!

Kate x

For this cheese straw recipe you will need:

250g plain / all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
165g butter
150g medium (or strong) cheddar cheese (grated)
120ml water

Makes approximately 30 cheese straws

• Pre-heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6 and line two large baking trays with parchment.
• Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and paprika into a mixing bowl.
• Add the butter and rub together until the mixture has the texture of breadcrumbs. This can be done by hand, but I use my Kitchen Aid.
• Stir in the grated cheese.
• Add the water and mix to form a sticky dough.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into pencil thin straws (approximately 5 inches in length).
• Place on the prepared baking sheets and cook in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes until golden brown.  (Cooking time may need to be reduced or increased slightly depending on how thin you roll your cheese straws).
• Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

This post was originally published on Kate at Home