Baking Friday - "Cookie" # 4

Does this look like a cookie to you?

How about this?

Do they look like the same dough?  And if they have this much cheese in them, are they a cookie?

Does a cookie have to have sugar to be a cookie?

Such deep, philosophical questions we face here on this blog.  Is your head spinning yet?  Well, I am here to declare that this is a cookie.  Maybe not everywhere, but in this world of ours, this is a cookie!

They are officially called cheese straws, and they are based on Trisha Yearwood's cheese straws.  In fact the main ingredient - CHEESE! - is based on her volume.  Almost 2 full pounds of cheddar!

 Is that awesome or what?!  And these.  Are.  Tasty.

Zippy.  Garlicky.  Spicy.  Cheesy.  Yummy.  As one man said, "Debbie made me feel tingly all over!"  (Like I've said before on here, I am SOOO going to land in HR for this Baking Friday venture!)

One sweet lady who doesn't always indulge on Thursdays, was told by everyone in her department that she had to come get a cheese straw.  So she did.  And here is how she replied to all on the email.

How fun is that?!  (I think she may have liked it...maybe just a little...)

Ready to make these?  Here is what I used:

2 sticks of butter
3 oz of softened cream cheese
30oz of extra sharp Cheddar cheese
2 T. of Vidalia onion mustard (or a good quality mustard)
3 cups of flour
2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper (heaping)
1/2 t. cayenne red pepper (heaping)
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder

I started by grating all of that cheese.  (Have I ever said that I really love my food processor?)

Then I let is come to room temperature while I did something else fun, but I don't remember right now what that other fun thing was...hmmm..

Anyway, I measured the spices and put them in a sifter with the flour.  Trisha's original recipe only calls for 1/8 t. of black and red pepper and just a dash of garlic powder.  But a number of comments indicated that they weren't quite zippy enough, so I upped the spices.  You may want to do somewhere between, depending upon your mother's tastes.  (Remember, this is for Mother's Day!)

See them on top of the flour?

And then I sifted into a beautiful pile.  See those spices?  This holds promise!

Now I beat the butter, cream cheese, mustard and Cheddar until smooth and creamy.  Trisha talks about it taking 15 to 30 minutes.  I went about 15 - 20, but I didn't measure the time to be truthful.

And then I added the flour on low speed.  Trisha talks about adding up to another cup of flour, but I didn't feel any need for the other cup based on how the dough felt when I mixed it in my hand.

Now, Trisha is a wise woman.  She has done this before and KNOWS that in order to get straws, you want to use a cookie press.  I used to have a cookie press, but it either long since walked away from the house or it is hiding in the nether regions.  (Does anyone else have a nether regions in their house?)  But I thought maybe I could squeeze this through a large tube and pastry bag.

And I could.  Or really G and I working together could squeeze it out with a LOT of effort for about 13 hours and 53 minutes to get this tray ready for the oven.

So after a long nap, I had the strength in my hands again to form the rest of the dough into balls...

...and then flattened with the bottom of a glass dipped in flour.

And yes, I went wild and crazy and sprinkled a few grains of sea salt on top of each one.  I slid them in a 325 degree oven and baked for about 20 minutes until done before cooling on a rack and storing in an airtight container.

These are good right after they are made, but they improve at room temperature for a couple of days.  I like the straws a bit better, but I know one friend who liked the cookie shape better.  Either way, these are a keeper!  They will be great at a cocktail party or with tomato soup or chili.  And if you make the straws (because you HAVE and CAN find your cookie press!) they are fun to stand up on end in a cup, glass or other container.

And there you have it!  They don't take over 13 hours to make if you use a cookie press or form them into balls.  If you have 13 hours and spare strength in your hands and that of everyone else in your house or you need a good punishment for your kids, then you can extrude the dough through a large tube and pastry bag, but since I'm a grandmother, I can tell you for sure that your kids haven't done anything that bad.  Trust me.

Love,
DD