Derby Day Cheese Straws

# What You'll Need:

01 - 1.5 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated

02 - 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

03 - 0.5 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

04 - 1.25 cups all-purpose flour

05 - 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper

06 - 0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt

07 - 0.25 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

08 - 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water, as needed

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

02 - In a food processor, combine cheddar, Parmesan, flour, cayenne, salt, and black pepper, then pulse to mix thoroughly

03 - Add cold cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs

04 - If dough is too dry, add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together

05 - Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle approximately 0.25 inch thick

06 - Cut dough into strips approximately 0.5 inch wide and 6 inches long

07 - Transfer strips to prepared baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart

08 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden and crisp

09 - Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely

01 -

They're ready in thirty minutes flat, which means you can make them the morning of without stress.
The cayenne gives just enough heat to make people pause and ask what you did differently, and that moment never gets old.

02 -

If your dough starts feeling warm while you're working, pop it in the fridge for ten minutes—warm dough spreads instead of crisp, and you'll end up with cheese crackers instead of straws.
That five-minute cooling time on the baking sheet is not optional; it's when the residual heat finishes setting their structure, making them snap instead of bend.

03 -

Use a pastry cutter or sharp knife to cut perfectly uniform straws—size matters because thinner ones crisp faster than thick ones.
Watch the oven during the last few minutes; cheese can go from golden to over-dark quickly, and you want them bronzed, not burnt.