Cheese Straws

Awhile ago I stepped into the Cooking Class at school, only to be greeted with the deliciously cheesy smell of these straws baking away in the ovens. You see, I love cheese. It's my favorite snack. Cheddar, havarti, blue, brie, Parmesan, you name it, I love it-which is why these babies are a perfect appetizer. Served along side veggies, with some hummus or a great dip, they are a great finger food to nibble on. They are also so incredibly easy, you'll have a batch or two babies baked up in no time.

Adapted from Caren McSherry's More Than Salt and Pepper
1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup flour
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp melted butter
1/3 cup milk
sea salt
pepper

Pre-heat your oven to 450 F.

In a bowl, mix together the cheese, flour, mustard, paprika, melted butter, and milk to form a soft dough. My dough was a little dry so I added a little extra milk. Form the dough into a flat disk, wrap in cling film, and put in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough on a floured board to about 1/4 inch thick, in a rectangle about 20 cm long. Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into strips 1 cm thick and 20 cm long. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

Transfer the strips to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and twist them gently. Bake for about 5 minutes, watching carefully-they bake quickly! Remove from the oven. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a baking rack.

Makes about 20 cheese straws