Cheese Straws With Crushed Red Pepper

Total Time: 42 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and softened
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon half-and-half

Recipe

• 1 1. combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor; pulse in 5-second intervals until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. add half-and-half, and process 10 seconds or until dough forms a ball.
• 2 2. turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and roll into an 8- x 10-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). cut dough with a sharp knife into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-wide strips, dipping knife in flour after each cut to ensure clean cuts. place on ungreased baking sheets.
• 3 3. bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until ends are slightly browned. cool on baking sheets on a wire rack 30 minutes. break into desired lengths.
• 4 note: to make cheese rounds, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness, and cut with a 1 1/2-inch round cutter. place on ungreased baking sheets. bake and cool as directed. freeze baked cheese straws or rounds in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic freezer bag up to 3 months. let thaw at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.