Cheese sticks...



This recipe, from the boss, is a great thing to take to parties, potlucks, and other holiday gatherings. These cheese sticks are essentially cheesy shortbread.

Spicy Cheese Sticks

1-1/2 cup sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 tsp salt (optional)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste (Chipotle pepper also works nice ... the smoky flavor works well with cheese.)
1/3 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1 cup (ca. 3 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (Don't be cheap...better cheese makes better cheese sticks.)
3 tablespoons minced or grated onion (I've never used the onion.)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 or 4 dashes Tobasco sauce, or to taste (or more)
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup (about 1 oz) freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano cheese

(For those of you into baking, you'll recognize this as the "biscuit method.")

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper into a mixing bowl. Add shortening and cut with a pastry blender until well incorporated. Stir in Cheddar cheese, onion, and Worcetershire and Tobasco sauces. Add buttermilk and stir to make a soft dough. (Don't overmix!) Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for one hour.

Preheat oven to 475˚ F.

On a lightly floured board, roll out dough into an 8x12 inch rectangle. Wrap the dough loosely around a rolling pin and transfer to a cold, lightly greased cookie sheet. With a metal spatula, cut dough in half lengthwise, then cut across in 1-inch intervals to form two columns of sticks (ca. 1x4 inches each). Brush sticks with melted butter, sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes (I bake longer, because either my oven isn't very accurate or because I like them crispier than they turn out at 10 minutes.) Immediately remove from baking sheet and serve hot, or cool on wire racks before storing in airtight containers.

Makes 24 sticks.

Posted: Tue - December 5, 2006 at 09:18 AM        

©