Southern Lemon Straws Recipes

STRAWN'S EAT SHOP'S STRAWBERRY ICEBOX PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the shortening and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water, then continue to pulse until the mixture becomes a shaggy dough. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into an 11-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick), then fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Trim away any excess dough, crimp the edges and prick the bottom all over with a fork. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of the pie with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the bottom is just starting to set and the edges are just starting to brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue to bake until the crust is golden brown and cooked through, about 10 more minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: Whisk the eggs with the granulated sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons milk until smooth, then whisk into the egg mixture. Warm the remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk and the melted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming, 2 minutes. Slowly whisk the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, then return the entire mixture to the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Whisk in the red food coloring.
• Spoon the glaze into the pie crust and spread over the bottom and up the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, 2 hours.
• Spread the berries in the glazed crust. Dust with confectioners' sugar.
• Make the topping: Beat the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread over the pie and top with the strawberry half.

SOUTHERN CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grate cheese.
• In a food processor, pulse dry ingredients until combined, then add cheese and butter. Process until dough becomes smooth and has the texture of Play-Doh. Alternately, make the dough in a stand mixer by creaming cheese and butter until smooth. Then combine dry ingredients in a bowl and combine with butter mixture at low speed until smooth.
• Shape the dough into a cylinder, wrap with plastic wrap or parchment and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Or store in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
• Bring dough to room temperature and pack it into a cookie press fitted with a star disk. Pipe long ribbons of dough across the baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, about an inch apart. Then cut into six-inch lengths. Repeat with remaining dough. Dough may also be hand-rolled into long ropes and cut to size, or shaped into a cylinder and sliced into rounds and baked.
• Bake for about 13 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown. Store between sheets of parchment or waxed paper in an airtight container. Will keep for up to three weeks.

CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Put the softened cheese and butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer. Using the heaviest mixer paddle attachment, beat until the mixture has the consistency of whipped cream, 15 to 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, sift 3 cups of the flour with the salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Gradually add the seasoned flour to the cheese mixture by large spoonfuls, beating well after each addition. Add the remaining 1 cup unseasoned flour incrementally until the dough is somewhat stiff but still soft enough to be pushed through a cookie press; you may not need to add all the flour.
• Lightly spray 4 cookie sheets with cooking spray. Put a portion of the dough into a cookie press fitted with the star tube and press the dough onto a cookie sheet in long strips that run the length of the pan. Repeat until the pan is full. Bake until straws are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.
• With your hands or a sharp knife, break or cut the long strips into 3-inch lengths. Use a flat, thin spatula or an egg turner to remove the cheese strips from the pan. Allow them to cool on a wire rack. When they are completely cool, serve or store in a tightly covered container.

CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it is 10- by 12-inches. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the surface of the pastry. Sprinkle each sheet evenly with 1¿4 cup of the Parmesan, 1¿2 cup of the Gruyère, 1¿2 teaspoon of the thyme, 1¿2 teaspoon of the salt, and some pepper. With the rolling pin, lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cut each sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza wheel into 11 or 12 strips. Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Turn each straw and bake for another 2 minutes. Don't over bake or the cheese will burn. Cool and serve at room temperature.

CHEESY BACON STRAWS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and fit a baking sheet with a wire rack.
• In a small saucepot, mix the maple syrup, red pepper flakes, orange juice and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.
• Line up the bacon slices on the wire rack and brush with the hot maple syrup mixture. Sprinkle some cheese on each piece of bacon. With a skewer in hand, fold the end of a piece of bacon in half lengthwise and press the skewer through the end. Do this to 4 pieces of bacon, spreading them out evenly across the skewer, and place the skewer on the baking sheet. Twist the bacon pieces into long spirals so as to create straws. Take another skewer and skewer the bottom of each piece of bacon to keep the bacon twisted. Do this to all the bacon.
• Bake until the bacon browns, about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly on the rack; the bacon will get crunchy as it sits. Serve immediately.