Cheese Straws

Ah, bread, who doesn't like it? There is just something so comforting about getting a loaf of fresh baked bread and breaking it apart and eating it.  I love to bake bread, however with all the wonderful varieties of fresh bread here in Switzerland, there is no need to bake it, however I still like to.  The original recipe came from Art Smith's book "Back to the Table", which I am honored to have an autographed copy. I just changed a few things with it to customize it of course.  Art Smith understands the importance of comfort foods and cooking for family.  I love his style.  These cheese straws are so wonderful, soft yet crunchy, flaky, buttery and so cheesylicious! Do try...


What you need:
~1 1/2 Cups Cheddar cheese.  They only have white cheddar here in Switzerland and only 1 store carries it.  I guess with all the other varieties of wonderful cheeses, cheddar is not the Swiss top pick, but a classic for us in the US.
~1/2 Cup shredded Grana padano cheese (Pecorino can be used or Parmesan)
~6 Tbsp room temp butter.  It must be room temp for this to work.
~1 Cup flour 
~1/4 Tsp salt
~1/4 Tsp baking powder
~1/4 Tsp black pepper
~1/2 Tsp garlic powder
~1/4 Tsp cayenne or hot pepper powder
~1/2 Tsp parsley flakes
~1 Tbsp water
~1 egg yolk mixed with 1 Tsp water for glazing
~3 Tsp of your choice of topping such as sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion seeds.  I actually used lemon pepper on mine.


Let's get to work:
Preheat your oven to 350F or 176C (European ovens)
1) Grab your favorite mixing bowl and stir the cheese and butter together until combined, then add the remainder of the ingredients except for the egg yolk mixture and topping mixing until a soft dough forms.
2) Shape the dough into a rectangle shape and wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
3) Remove from fridge 10 minutes before you are ready roll it out so it softens a bit. Then roll out to about about 1/4 inch thickness on lightly floured surface keeping the shape of a rectangle. It's like a 12x7 inch rectangle.
4) Brush with egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with your chosen topping.
5) Take a knife and cut into 1/4 inch or 3/4 inch strips and place on a baking sheet 1" apart as they will expand a touch when baked.
6) Bake until golden about 20 minutes, but do turn the pan 10 minutes in so they cook and brown evenly.  I'll tell you the amaaaaaaaazing aroma in the air of these baking was torturing! Thankfully they don't take long to bake so you can enjoy right away!=)  These are just so fantastic and a nice change from having regular bread.


*A quick tip on these is you can customize by using different cheeses and spices keeping the amounts the same, but just changing what spices or herbs you use.  You could use fresh Rosemary and fresh chopped garlic. Oh boy yummy!!! The ideas are endless, so just experiment!