mulberryshoots

My granddaughter is studying for her final exams and I thought I’d make up a quick recipe of cheese straws. It’s an easy recipe that calls for:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened and beaten with a mixer until creamy. Add 2 cups of shredded cheese (cheddar & Parmesan) and mix with butter; add 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne.  The mixture was a little crumbly so I added a dash of half-and-half just so I could roll it out. Using a pie crimp cutter, I cut the dough into strips and baked them for about 17 minutes in a 350 oven.

My husband came out from his study and asked what was cooking because it smelled so divine while baking. When I took them out and tried a few bits, I found that they needed a little more salt – so I sprinkled some sea salt flakes on top after they cooled.

Once they’re stone cold, I’ll pack them up in an aluminum loaf pan with a cover inside a box and send it on its way to dorm-land. They might last 15 minutes – okay, maybe 20?

They’re fragrant and tasty. Next time, I’ll add a little more cheese and salt. I’ll also be mindful of how I measure the flour – not packed, because I think that’s what accounted for the mixture being crumbly.