Christmas Tree Cheese Straws
Christmas Tree Cheese Straws are a fun cheesy bite for the holidays with a hint of spicy heat. The cheese mixture comes together quickly in the food processor and are stamped through a cookie press for festive seasonal treat. Makes about 6 dozen 2-inch Cheese Straws.
Servings: 72 cheese straws
Equipment
- cookie press with tree disc
- food processor
- baking sheets steel, not air-cushioned
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 8 oz. block extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (use shredding disc on your food processor for quick shredding or very finely shredded with a box grater)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Chill baking sheets for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pulse flour, shredded cheese, cayenne pepper and butter in a food processor at 5-second intervals until dough forms a ball, about 1 minute.
- Fit the cookie press with a tree disk and fill the cylinder 3/4 full with cheese mixture, straight from food processor; do not chill dough.
- Advance the dough down to bottom of the cylinder with trigger / handle. Place cookie press directly down on chilled cookie sheet so it touches surface and give the handle 2 – 2 ½ pulls to release cheese straw. Pulls or pumps may vary depending on your brand of cookie press and temperature of cheese mixture.
- Lift up cookie press, leaving tree shape cheese straw on cookie sheet.
- Repeat, making next cheese straw 2 inches from previous cheese straw. If tree is misshapen, scrape it off cookie sheet and return cheese mixture to bowl to work back into cookie press cylinder when you refill it.
- Bake each batch for about 12 - 15 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. Remove from baking sheet and transfer to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough using chilled baking sheets.
- Store cheese straws in an airtight container.
Notes
- I used an OXO Good Grips 14-Piece Cookie Press Set and tree disk. It took 2 – 2 1/2 pumps to extrude cheese straw onto baking sheet. Other cookie press brands may work differently. Experiment, if your tree is misshapen, scrape it off cookie sheet and return the cheese mixture to your bowl to work back into cookie press cylinder when you refill it.
- You want to shred your cheese off the block for this recipe. Bagged pre-shredded cheese has added ingredients with anti-clumping properties that keep cheese shreds separate, so it doesn’t always melt completely, nor is it as moist as cheese you shred off the block.
- When measuring flour, use the 'spoon & sweep' method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour to overflowing, then sweep with knife edge to level. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour for recipe.
- Do not chill cheese straw mixture after mixing or it will be too firm to press; make after mixing in food processor. Use chilled, unlined baking sheets so cheese mixture sticks and releases from press. Do not use an insulated cookie sheet (as they don't chill enough to stick).
- I rarely use salted butter in recipes, but it makes all the difference here.
- There is ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper in these cheese straws; just enough to add some lingering heat but not enough to make them overly spicy. Omit if you prefer or double the amount for more spice.
- Make sure your cheese is very cold before using the shredding disc on your food processor. You can place your block of cheese in the freezer for 20 minutes for easier shredding.
- To make cheese straws without a cookie press, roll the dough into 2-inch logs and slice into coin shapes. Bake about 15 minutes (they’ll be a slightly larger, hence the longer baking time) or until lightly golden. To make them extra fancy, use a fork to make a criss-cross impression on top and add a pecan half before baking.
- Cheese straws may be baked ahead and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.