Cheddar Cheese Wafers Recipes

CHEESE WAFERS

Steps:

• Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
• Cut in shortening until the size of little pebbles.
• NOTE: I often grate frozen butter and stir it in with a fork rather than cutting in shortening.
• Mix in grated cheese with a fork.
• With a fork, stir in worchestershire sauce.
• Add ice water and quickly stir into a ball.
• Knead with hands, adding more ice water as needed, until smooth and pliable like pie crust dough.
• Do not handle any more than necessary.
• Divide dough in half and form into 2 logs about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and 8 inches long.
• Wrap in waxed paper.
• Place in airtight container (such as a zip bag) in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
• These can be made days ahead.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Grease cookie sheets.
• Slice wafers off log and flatten to desired thinness (about 1/8 inch.
• Bake about 10 to 12 minutes or until starting to lightly brown.
• Let cool just slightly on cookie sheet to firm up; but best when served warm.

CHEESE WAFERS

Steps:

• In a medium size mixing bowl, blend together butter or margarine and flour. Mix in the Cheddar cheese, salt, red pepper, hot pepper sauce, and pecans. Form the dough into a roll, wrap in parchment paper, and refrigerate over night.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Slice dough into very thin wafers. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crisp.

CHEESE WAFERS OR STRAWS

Steps:

• Put flour and salt in mixing bowl. With fingers, work half the butter into the flour until it resembles damp, crumbly sand. Add the remaining cold butter chunks and the cheese and stir with a fork to distribute. Stir in milk and quickly gather dough into a ball with floured hands. (There should be visible butter chunks in the dough.) Squash dough into a rough rectangle about 1 inch thick.
• Dust dough with flour and roll to a long rectangle about 8 by 14 inches and about 1/2-inch thick, with the longer side facing you. Fold dough into thirds: first fold in right side, then left side on top of it, making a nearly square package three layers high. Dust again with flour and roll out to make same size rectangle, then fold it again. Dust and repeat once more. Wrap well in plastic film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 day in advance.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut dough in half. Refrigerate half the dough and roll the other piece out to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. (Do not roll too thin or pastry will not puff.) To make wafers, cut dough into 2-inch rounds with a sharp cookie cutter (or cut into diamonds with a knife). To make straws, cut dough in strips 1/2-inch by 5 inches. Twist strips 2 or 3 times and press down ends to prevent unfurling.
• Place wafers or straws on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Paint lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with flaky salt. Add sprinklings of cumin seed, black pepper, rosemary or smoked paprika if desired, and a little more grated cheese. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, until well browned and crisp. Let cool before serving. Repeat process with remaining half of dough.
• Note: To make heart-shaped palmiers, cut dough in half as above. Working with one dough half (and refrigerating the other), roll dough to a rectangle about 12 by 8 inches and 1/8-inch thick, with the longer side facing you. Paint entire sheet of dough with egg wash and sprinkle with cheese. Tightly roll each of the long edges toward the center so you have a long, somewhat narrow log consisting of 2 connected side-by-side cylinders. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Pinch the round side of each slice to form a heart shape. Flatten each heart-shaped slice with rolling pin and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Dab each heart with egg wash and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until well browned.

WHITE CHEDDAR CHEESE WAFERS

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter, cheese, salt, red pepper and garlic powder with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Gradually add flour, beating just until combined. Stir in pecans.
• Divide dough into 4 equal parts; roll each into 10-inch log. Wrap logs in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 20 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Unwrap logs; cut each into 24 pieces. Flatten to 2-inch rounds. On cookie sheets, place rounds 1 inch apart.
• Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.