For week 1 of the 52 weeks of cooking the theme is Appetizers.

I decided I would try my hand at making Cheddar Cheese Straws because in part my daughter loves “orange squares” (AKA Cheez-Its) and “gold fish”

Recipe:

• 1 pound shredded sharp cheddar
• 1.5 cups unsalted butter
• 1.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 4 cups all purpose flour

Directions:

1. mix the first five ingredients in stand mixer until well mixed.
2. Add flour one cup at a time until well integrated.
3. Wrap dough ball in wax paper, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours
4. Roll dough ball out until 1/2″ thick
5. Cut into 1/2″ wide 4″ long strips
6. Place cookie sheets and cook at 350 for 12 minutes
7. Cool on wire racks.

Review:

These were pretty easy to make.  My three and a half year old daughter Kira really seems to like them.  My wife Pami said they were a little dry.  I think they’re both a little dry, and would have benefited from a bit more salt.  All in all this was a fun experiment.