Southern Cheese Straws Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Hopbell

I make this once a week for Friday co*cktails. I often use a gruyere in place of the cheddar.

Gail

Every week Friday co*cktails? I wish I were your friend!

JudyR

Made these as "Cheddar pennies" too - but beware over-salting them! The Cheddar I used first time was a bit salty and so was the butter. Next batch, with no added salt, was much better.

Beth

I have celiac disease, and I make these gluten free for my goldfish-starved kids using garbanzo or garbanzo/fava flour—still delicious and lots of free protein! I also don't bother with the pastry bag. I mold the dough into rectangles and refrigerate wrapped in parchment. Then I just slice and bake. Easy cheese crackers!

Juli S

Made these last night for a dinner party. Sliced into coins instead of piping - very easy. Did 1/2 inch slices but think would be much better if thinner. Will try 1/4 inch next time. I had made them ahead, and they lost a bit of their crispness after being in storage container for the day, so heated in toaster oven prior to serving - crisped right back up and provided nice cheesy aroma to greet my guests! Definitely a repeater.

sarah

Pursuant to my great-grandmother's recipe, I add 1 teaspoon of fresh baking powder. Cheers!

Carey Green

Although these cheese straws will keep up to three weeks, they're best eaten the same day they're baked. I roll them into two or more cylinders and keep them in the freezer to use as needed.

Cappie78

Delicious, pretty, and light using the cookie press. When I resorted to hand rolling them, they seemed much more pedestrian. Mine came out looking like kids had rolled out play doh snakes.

EAKavetas

I make them as cheddar pennies and add chopped chive
s for the flavor and green flecks.

scurbas@gmail.com

You should not as general rule use salted butter in any recipe unless it is specified. Salted butter is variable in saltiness so using unsalted butter gives you better control. Most professionally written recipes presume you know to use sweet butter

Randi

Used gluten-free flour, which is always much drier than all-purpose flour. Had to add water for the dough to come together but this wasn't unexpected. Rested for 20 mins at room temperature, packed into cookie press, baked. Perfect results.

juleezee

Used to make this eons ago as "Cheddar Pennies" and they were always a hit. As Carey Green notes, it's easy to keep them in the fridge, wrapped in plastic or foil and slice off and bake what you need. Maybe it's time to whip up another batch.

Lisa

I just roll mine like a square pie crust and then cut with a pizza cutter! Works great! Also use my Christmas cookie cutter for different shapes to give as gifts. This recipe works great every time.

Marilyn Johnson

add 2 Tbs of water to douh. Excellent recipe,

LE0805

The dough did not come together. I added two tablespoons more of butter and it was perfect.

so good

Made as written except I used Kerrygold Dubliner for the cheese and rolled them out. I cut them into tiny holiday shapes, baked for 9 minutes and they are perfect. I saved half the dough and may have to get it back out of the freezer because we have people coming over and my partner will NOT stop snacking on these! Lol

Mary

These are amazing but the yield is not anywhere near 5 dozen. It’s worth at least doubling the recipe if you’re serving at a party.

Rachel

These are delicious and definitely worth buying good-quality cheese. I have made them as written and with substitutions: omitting the salt and using salted butter as well as using King Arthur GF measure-for-measure flour. All turn out beautifully!

Amanda

Couldn’t find my my cookie press, so made half “pennies” and half hand rolled straws. Sliced the pennies thinly and pressed out on the silpat. I added 1 tsp baking powder, and the straws and pennies were nice and light.

Muffy O

I'm glad I read the notes before I made them. I ended up with two tablespoons of water to get the dough to come together. I made them into tubes and cut into coins. I found that cutting them thinner is better. Next time I'd add chives as suggested by someone. Very yummy and I'll do it again.

CitrusSandy

I used a cookie press to make wreath shapes was worried about sticking. I pressed my shapes directly onto aluminum cookie sheets, and the finished cheese wreaths came right off with a spatula after baking. No problem with sticking and no parchment necessary.

Lezlie

Made quickly into coins that were not misshapen by the knife by using the dental floss method (unwaxed, unflavoured). Rolled dough one inch in diameter and then easily made quarter-inch slices by sliding the floss under the roll, crossing the ends and gently pulling them. Flat round coins pop off. Used Gruyère which was delicious but will experiment with other cheeses.

Michael

Like Goldfish crackers for grownups! Made coins and used Vermont Farmstand Cheddy Topper (cheddar with Heady Topper IPA). Also added fresh thyme for color since our cheddar was more yellow than orange. Baked 14 minutes at 375. Delicious!

HSK

Can these go straight from the freezer into the oven?

Jo L.

OK, these are terrific--I have a log in the freezer right now. Minor beef--when offering alternative preparations, such as "roll the batch into a couple of logs..." it would be nice to offer necessary instructions for at least one alternative. What size log cut to what size penny takes how long to bake? So, from experience: a log about 1 inch in diameter, cut into 1/4"pennies, is just about perfect at 15 minutes @ 375 in my oven. Just saying...

EstherInMN

I used my cookie press, but instead of straws I made small ovals, figuring they'd be less fragile. They made the trip across the state without crumbling. Yay. And they were the perfect size to pop one in your mouth. One after another.

a secret dash of powdered mustard!

I add a dash of mustard powder and it really rounds out the flavor. I snagged that hint from a gougere recipe that has a similar flavor palette. The cookie gun is great but it can be a mess to clean all the parts. Rolling out long snakes and then twisting them together takes a little more time but a lot less cleanup.

cheri P

Given that these are too spicy for my tum, I am going to modify the recipe by adding pimentos and cutting the cayenne, maybe adding a bit of tabasco. My husband loved these so I know I will be makingthem again.

cheri P

Don't over cook this. I did it in two batches and learned from the first batch that waiting for them to brown up made them too dry. The second batch was far nicer if somewhat lighter. They worked out well hand rolled , but twisting them was not the best approach, just nice little snake rolls, 4 inches long. Also I need to use less cayenne.

Elizabeth

Delicious. I found it a bit difficult to press out of the cannister. I may add some cream to the dough next time. Wreaths sound like a great idea.

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Southern Cheese Straws Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my cheese straws not crispy? ›

They are like cheesy, crunchy flowers and bake in the same amount of time as the regular cheese straws. Don't underbake. If anything, you might want to slightly overbake these a bit so they are crunchy. I underbaked a batch and didn't love the softer texture nearly as well as the crunchy ones.

How long will homemade cheese straws last? ›

Cut into 1cm strips, then twist the strips 3-4 times. Lay on a baking sheet, scatter over more cheese and bake for 12 mins, or until golden. Leave to cool, then keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

What kind of press do you use for cheese straws? ›

Press out straws:

Use a cookie press with a star-shaped disk to shape mixture into long ribbons, following manufacturer's instructions, on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

How do you make James Martin's cheese straws? ›

To make the straws, roll out the dough again to 40cm x 30 cm, brush all over with beaten egg then sprinkle over the Parmesan, Cheddar and thyme. Cut into 2 cm strips, twist them several times and place onto a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes then serve warm or at room temperature.

How to keep cheese straws crunchy? ›

To keep your Cheese Straws fresh and crispy, follow these storage tips:
  1. Airtight container. Store your cooled cheese straws in an airtight container to prevent moisture from softening them.
  2. Room temperature storage. ...
  3. Refrigeration. ...
  4. Freezing.
Sep 13, 2023

What makes some cheese crunchy? ›

In cheeses like Cheddars, those crunchy bits are more commonly calcium lactate. This is where lactic acid and calcium combine to form calcium lactate crystals. Whilst this crystalline texture is not historically found in cheddars, there has definitely been a rise in its popularity.

Do cheese straws go bad? ›

Most recipes make it a point to share that these treats can be kept for up to a week, when sealed in an airtight container.

Why are cheese straws popular in the South? ›

There's not much history on these yummy little guys, but they are credited as a Southern invention. According to one story, they were dreamed up by a frugal cook who mixed leftover biscuit dough with some cheese, and formed the result into long, narrow strips.

What pastry are cheese straws made from? ›

Our cheese straws are made with puff pastry, which is cut into strips and then twisted into “straws.” Puff pastry is made of hundreds upon hundreds of thin layers of dough and butter. In the heat of the oven, these layers puff dramatically and become incredibly crispy.

What country are cheese straws from? ›

The history of southern cheese straws is a subject for debate. Some say that it can be traced back to the British “biscuit.” While others say the biscotti and hard breads of Italy and Spain regions of Europe. No matter where they originated, the cheese straw has found its home in the kitchens of the south.

How to use a cookie press for cheese straws? ›

For straws: Place the dough into a cookie press or pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Push the dough into one corner of the bag and press the air out. Snip the tip and pipe them into 3” long strips about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom and edges.

How do you keep homemade cheese straws fresh? ›

Cheese Straws aren't something I think keep for a long time. Once they're baked, they really are best eaten within two days. After this they will start to get a little softer and loose their crisp texture. Keeping them in an airtight container helps prevent this.

How do you store homemade cheese straws? ›

Cheese straws can be made up to 1 month ahead of time. Store cheese straws in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in a freezer for up to 1 month.

Do cheese straws need to be refrigerated? ›

Cheese straws should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. To extend the shelf life, you can also store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.

Why are my cheese crisps not crispy? ›

If you find your cheese crisps are soggy once they've cooled, you likely didn't bake them enough. The edges should be brown before they are removed from the oven. Alternatively, you may have used a soft cheese that won't harden properly when it cools.

Why are my cheese straws soft? ›

Bake cheese straws at 350 for 15 to 18 minutes. To see if they are ready, lift one cheese straw and look at the bottom. It should be slightly browned and they should be slightly crisp. Don't cook too long or they will burn, but you also don't want to under cook as then they will be soft not crunchy.

Why is my cheese ball too soft? ›

Remove cheese ball from the fridge 30 minutes before serving so the cheese has time to soften and become more spreadable. Why is my cheese ball too soft? A cheese ball can be too soft if reduced fat or nonfat cream cheese is used. Stick to regular, full fat block-style cream cheese.

Why is string cheese rubbery? ›

The stringiness of string cheese is naturally created by the cheese being stretched and pulled by an auger while simultaneously being heated to 140 degrees. At this temperature, the milk proteins begin to move and change, aligning horizontally. This alignment allows the milk proteins to become stretchy.

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