Cheese Straws (87)

About 30 straws Baking, Savouries

4 oz (1 cup) flour
teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 oz. unsalted butter (3/8 cup sweet butter) cut into small pieces
4 tablespoons finely grated Cheddar cheese
1 egg yoke, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon iced water

In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, salt and cayenne. Add the
butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture
resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the grated cheese.
In a teacup, mix together the egg yolk and water. Add the liquid to the butterand-flour mixture and, with a fork or spoon, mix well until a fairly stiff dough
is formed. Roll the dough into a ball and wrap it in greaseproof pr waxed
paper. Place it in a refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to fairly hot 400'F (Gas mark 6, 200'C).
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a rectangle about
inch thick. Cut the dough into strips about 2 inches long and inch wide.
Arrange the strips on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in the centre of the
oven for about 15 minutes, or until the straws are very light brown in colour.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the straws to cool before
serving.