Instructions
1
Combine the butter and cheese
2
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to beat the butter until it's light and fluffy. Beat in the cheese until blended.
3
Make the dough
4
Whisk the flour, salt and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Stir into the cheese mixture until a dough forms.
5
Roll and slice
6
Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 15x6-inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 30 cheese straws, each 6 inches long. Editor's Tip: We use a bench scraper to help push the sides of the dough into place and cut the straws, but you can use a pizza cutter or knife instead. Try this technique to help keep each of the cheese straws the same size: Begin by cutting the dough rectangle into six equal portions. Then cut each portion into five strips for a total of 30 straws.
7
Transfer the cheese straws to the baking sheet
8
Gently place the strips 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Editor's Tip: You can line the baking sheet with parchment to make it easier to move the baked straws. If any cheese straw pieces tear as you transfer them, just push the dough back together with your fingers.
9
Place the baking sheet in the oven, and bake the cheese straws for 15 to 20 minutes, until they're lightly browned. Let the straws rest on the baking sheet for five minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
