CHEESE GRATER RECIPES

Steps:

• Grate the cheese on the medium holes of a grater to make 4 cups. Cover the grated cheese and leave out with the butter until at room temperature, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. (Note: You need to grate your own cheese here--no pre-grated.)
• When ready to make the cheese straws, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
• Mix the flour, salt, cayenne, mustard and black pepper in a medium bowl.
• Put the cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until fairly smooth. Slowly beat in the flour mixture. Check the consistency; it should be just stiff enough to pipe. If not, add a little more flour.
• Scrape the dough into a piping bag or resealable plastic bag. Use a 1/4-inch tip or cut a 1/4-inch hole in the plastic bag. Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheets in 5- to 6-inch strips. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

Steps:

• Grate 6 oz. cheese on the medium holes of a box grater. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 400°. → Oh, is that the only side of the box grater you use? Read this.
• Dust work surface lightly with flour and unfold or unroll puff pastry on surface. Roll out lightly with a rolling pin to smooth creases, then cut pastry in half crosswise. (If you’re using a brand of puff pastry that comes with 2 sheets instead of 1, just roll out each piece lightly but don’t cut.)
• Mix 1 egg yolk and 1 tsp. water with pastry brush in a small bowl. Lightly brush egg wash across surface of 1 piece of pastry.
• Sprinkle half of grated cheese all over egg-washed surface in an even layer.
• Using your fingertips and holding your hand at least 8" above the surface, sprinkle ½ tsp. paprika, then ⅛ tsp. cayenne over cheese. Season with salt (go easy if you’re already using a salty cheese like Parm), then very generously season with black pepper.
• Place second sheet of puff pastry over top, aligning edges, and press gently to flatten. Lightly brush surface of second sheet with more egg wash.
• Sprinkle with remaining cheese, paprika, and cayenne; season with salt and pepper.
• Dust rolling pin with a bit more flour. Gently roll over top of pastry (yes, you’re rolling directly over the cheese). If bottom layer of pastry starts to stick, dust underneath with more flour, or if rolling pin starts to stick to cheese, dust pin with more flour. Roll pastry out to a long rectangle just under ¼" thick. The dimensions aren’t important, but try to keep the rectangle under a foot in length (otherwise, the straws will be too long to handle).
• Using your knife, cut rectangle into ½"-thick strips. For fewer straws that are longer, cut lengthwise. For more straws that are shorter (and easier to handle), cut crosswise.
• Working one strip at a time, transfer to prepared sheets and twist 2 ends in opposite directions several times. Repeat, spacing twists about 1" apart, until you’ve used all the pastry and filled both sheets.
• Bake cheese straws, rotating pans once top to bottom and front to back, until golden brown and cheese is toasted and crisp, 12–18 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets. Carefully remove from parchment and serve.
• Do Ahead: Unbaked twists can be made 1 month ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic on baking sheet and freeze. Bake directly from freezer without thawing (increase bake time by several minutes).