Instructions: And now their influence is expanding to other events, such as cocktail parties, that involve fancy finger food. Theyre cheap to make, and you can make a whole bunch without too much effort.

Among the primary rules: Use a low protein flour, and do not overbake them.

Bake them on a light pan, or theyll burn on the bottom.

Cheese straws, for the newcomers among us, are a pastry dough made from flour, butter, large amounts of grated cheese-preferably extra-sharp cheddar - and a little cayenne. Theyre usually piped out into ridged sticks before theyre baked.

However, there are variations. Some cheese straws are rolled and cut in strips. Sometimes the dough is shaped into a fat roll and cut in circles. In that case, theyre called cheese coins, wafers or crackers and they usually involve pecans.

But youll also find the cheese straw name attached to puff pastry dough that is dusted with grated cheese and twisted. These look a lot like bread sticks.

A nice bowl of tomato soup with a handful of cheese straws? Now that sounds like a match made in heaven.

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