Cheese Straws

  

16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, room temperature

1 ½ sticks butter, room temperature

2 cups flour

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

5-6 dashes of hot sauce

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

 

Sift together all dry ingredients and set aside.  By hand or in a food processor (using a pulse button) mix cheese and butter together well.  Add hot sauce and then add in dry ingredients and mix well.  Chill dough and roll into little logs (straws), or wafers, or use a cookie press and make any shape cookie.  Bake on an ungreased baking sheet in a preheated 300-degree oven for 10 minutes lower oven to 225 degrees and bake for 10-30 minutes until the wafers/sticks are crisp.  These freeze well!  The size of the wafers/straws will determine how long the straws take to cook!