Birdie’s Pimento Cheese Straws
Snow day today, so cheese straws it is!!
Bubba loves a cheese straw. And what’s not to love, really? Cheesy, crispy, a little salty, with just a touch of heat. A few years a go (probably more than a few) he decided he ought to be able to make them himself.
After all, he’s a great cook, master griller, and king of smoked meats. He is all of those things, but cheese straw maker? He wasn’t.
The great thing about working in the kitchen is that even your fails are pretty delicious. We snacked on what we called cheese crisps, so thin because we hadn’t used enough flour. We had doughs so dense the pastry bag thing was a joke. We bought a cookie press. Now Bubba’s a strong man, he was crest fallen when he couldn’t get the dough to extrude. We sliced it up and baked it off like a cookie. Good, tasty, interesting, but not a cheese straw.
Once we started our Birdie adventure, all recipes were likely to get a little Birdie-fied. Cheese straws were on again. After some research and some experimenting, we finally hit on the right combination. A great cheese straw, that’s pretty easy to make. The Jalapeño Pimento Cheese gives it the right kick without adding extra cayenne. I hope you try our version. If you do, let me know how it turns out.
Birdie’s Pimento Cheese Straws
8 oz Birdie’s Jalapeño Pimento Cheese (1 tub)
1 oz Butter (softened)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
Combine the Birdie’s and butter in a food processor. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
Add the cheese mixture to the flour mixture. Stir together until you have a dough. (don’t be afraid to use your hands) Using a cookie press or pastry bag with a star tip, extrude 2 1/2” lines onto parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. bake for 10 minutes. Rotate pans, and lower oven temp to 225 degrees. Bake for 40 minutes. Test for doneness by touching the straw. It should feel firm. Allow to cool completely before removing to a closed container.
Bubba loves a cheese straw. And what’s not to love, really? Cheesy, crispy, a little salty, with just a touch of heat. A few years a go (probably more than a few) he decided he ought to be able to make them himself.
After all, he’s a great cook, master griller, and king of smoked meats. He is all of those things, but cheese straw maker? He wasn’t.
The great thing about working in the kitchen is that even your fails are pretty delicious. We snacked on what we called cheese crisps, so thin because we hadn’t used enough flour. We had doughs so dense the pastry bag thing was a joke. We bought a cookie press. Now Bubba’s a strong man, he was crest fallen when he couldn’t get the dough to extrude. We sliced it up and baked it off like a cookie. Good, tasty, interesting, but not a cheese straw.
Once we started our Birdie adventure, all recipes were likely to get a little Birdie-fied. Cheese straws were on again. After some research and some experimenting, we finally hit on the right combination. A great cheese straw, that’s pretty easy to make. The Jalapeño Pimento Cheese gives it the right kick without adding extra cayenne. I hope you try our version. If you do, let me know how it turns out.
Birdie’s Pimento Cheese Straws
8 oz Birdie’s Jalapeño Pimento Cheese (1 tub)
1 oz Butter (softened)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
Combine the Birdie’s and butter in a food processor. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
Add the cheese mixture to the flour mixture. Stir together until you have a dough. (don’t be afraid to use your hands) Using a cookie press or pastry bag with a star tip, extrude 2 1/2” lines onto parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. bake for 10 minutes. Rotate pans, and lower oven temp to 225 degrees. Bake for 40 minutes. Test for doneness by touching the straw. It should feel firm. Allow to cool completely before removing to a closed container.