Southern Cheese Straws
Crispy, cheesy, and slightly spicy - these twisted pastry sticks are dangerously addictive
- 8 ozextra-sharp cheddar(finely grated, cold)
- 0.5 cupunsalted butter(cold, cut into cubes)
- 1.5 cupsall-purpose flour
- 0.5 tspkosher salt
- 0.25 tspcayenne pepper
- 0.125 tsppaprika
- 2-3 tbspice water(as needed)
Unbaked dough can be frozen up to 1 month. Baked straws keep in airtight container up to 5 days, or freeze up to 1 month. Re-crisp in 300°F oven if needed.
- 1In food processor, pulse flour, salt, cayenne, and paprika to combine
- 2Add cold butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal
- 3Add grated cheese and pulse until just combined
- 4With processor running, add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough just comes together
- 5Turn dough onto plastic wrap, flatten into disk, refrigerate 30 minutes
- 6Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment
- 7Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured surface
- 8Cut into 1/2-inch wide strips, about 6 inches long
- 9Twist each strip 3-4 times and place on baking sheet
- 10Bake 12-15 minutes until golden and crisp
- 11Cool on wire rack - they will crisp further as they cool
Use the finest grater setting for the cheese - it melts more evenly. Keep everything cold for flaky texture. Extra-sharp cheddar is essential; mild cheese won't have enough flavor. For extra crunch, sprinkle with flaky salt before baking.
Cheese straws are among the most distinctively Southern American party foods — a preparation found at virtually every cocktail party, wedding reception, and holiday gathering in the states from Virginia to Texas. Their likely origin is in the British tradition of cheese biscuits and cheese wafers, brought to the American South by British colonial settlers in the 18th century and adapted with the sharper cheddar and the capsaicin heat of cayenne pepper that characterize Southern flavors. Cheddar cheese, produced in Somerset's Cheddar Gorge since at least the 12th century and documented in the royal household accounts of King Henry II in 1170, became the default American cooking cheese through the 19th century as factories in New York, Vermont, and Wisconsin scaled up production. The combination of sharp, aged cheddar with cayenne and butter, piped through a star tip and baked until crisp, appears in Southern American cookbooks from the late 19th century onward. Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia each have distinctive regional cheese straw traditions. The straw format — long, thin, pipe-extruded — is practical for passing at a party and requires exactly one hand and no utensil. Southern hostesses have traditionally given cheese straws as Christmas gifts and served them at every occasion, cementing their status as the quintessential expression of Southern hospitality.