Derby Day Cheese Straws (Print Version)

Buttery, crunchy cheese straws with cheddar, Parmesan, and a touch of cayenne for bold flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
02 - ½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
03 - ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

→ Pantry

04 - 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
05 - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
06 - ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
07 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Optional

08 - 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water as needed

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a food processor, combine cheddar, Parmesan, flour, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Pulse until evenly mixed.
03 - Add cold butter cubes and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - If dough appears too dry, add cold water one tablespoon at a time until dough just comes together.
05 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle approximately ¼ inch thick.
06 - Cut dough into strips approximately ½ inch wide and 6 inches long.
07 - Transfer strips to prepared baking sheet, spacing slightly apart.
08 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden and crisp.
09 - Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack until completely cooled.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're ridiculously buttery but somehow feel elegant enough to serve to people you're trying to impress.
  • Fifteen minutes of actual work means you can make these while your guests are still parking their cars.
  • The cayenne-cheddar combo is addictive in a way that makes people eat way more than they planned to.
02 -
  • If you skip the cooling time on the baking sheet, they'll still be soft and will break apart when you move them, so those 5 minutes are not negotiable.
  • Freshly grated cheese makes a huge difference here because pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent the dough from holding together properly.
03 -
  • Make sure your butter is genuinely cold straight from the fridge because room temperature butter won't create the flaky texture that makes these special.
  • If your oven runs hot, start checking at 12 minutes and don't trust the timer blindly because the difference between perfectly crispy and slightly overbaked is about 90 seconds.
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