Kelly and Andrew both went to a boarding high school, the Illinois Math & Science Academy. It was a great experience for them. We talked to them nightly and they came home most weekends, so we didn’t miss too much of their high school experience. Each dorm had a Resident Assistant that was in charge of the 24 students on their floor. Most of the RAs were recent college grads that were working on their Master’s degrees. During Kelly’s junior & senior years, Heidi was her RA. The girls of Kelly’s wing adored Heidi and the feeling was mutual. On their birthdays, Heidi baked each of them a cake of their choosing. Kelly loved the cheese straws Heidi used to make for the wing. Since I was also a baker, Kelly got me Heidi’s recipe but I was never able to duplicate Heidi’s cheese straws. I think I tended to over mix the dough. After a few tries, I gave up on them. Until now. I tried out a recipe similar to Heidi’s over the weekend. They worked perfectly!
These savory shortbread-like bites would go well with a cheese platter and a good wine. Or some grapes and dried fruits. Or some tomato soup. Or . . .
Cheddar Coins (adapted from goodhousekeeping.com)
Yields: about 3 dozen coins Total Time: 45 min Prep Time: 25 min
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 10 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into pieces
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 °. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats. In a food processor, pulse the flour, Cheddar, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper until they are combined.
Combine the dry ingredients first in the food processor.
Add the butter and blend for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead the dough until it comes together. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it for 15 minutes, or refrigerate it for at least a half hour.
Work the dough as little as possible by hand once the butter is incorporated.
On lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out coins using a 1 1/2-inch round cutter. Place the coins on the prepared cookie sheets. Reroll and cut the scraps until all the dough is used.
Any small shape would work to cut out the dough.
Bake the coins for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden, rotating the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time. Transfer the coins to wire racks to cool. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze them for up to 1 month.
Coins of sunshine!
These are addicting! ~Linda
Cheddar Coins (adapted from goodhousekeeping.com)
Yields: about 3 dozen coins Total Time: 45 min Prep Time: 25 min
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 10 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into pieces
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 °. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats. In a food processor, pulse the flour, Cheddar, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and cayenne until they are combined. Add the butter and blend for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead the dough until it comes together. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it for 15 minutes, or refrigerate it for at least a half hour.
On lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out coins using a 1 1/2-inch round cutter. Place the coins on the prepared cookie sheets. Reroll and cut the scraps until all the dough is used.
Bake the coins for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden, rotating the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time. Transfer the coins to wire racks to cool. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze them for up to 1 month.