A Southern Treat, Cheese Crisps!

       Another cheese recipe!! Yum! 

       These are a Southern favorite, and a must have at any baby shower, bridal shower, wedding, etc.  They might be a favorite up North, too, but I've never been there, so I don't know!  You can find an Olive Cheese Ball recipe that I made for a friend a while back by using the super-duper search feature on this page.  Another friend mentioned that she liked the cheese straws with Rice Krispies in them, so I found a recipe I like, tweaked it a little bit, and they turned out wonderfully!  

        I will admit that I made two batches and by the time I got to the end of the second batch the crisps were getting bigger and bigger, not uniform and professional looking the way they started out.  I took the last batch on vacation with us and I did have to put  it back into the oven to cook a little longer.  They crisped up very nicely and stayed crisp in a tin canister.  I sent some to my sister's office, and some to my friends, Jimmye and J.C.  Jimmye says J.C. buys them from the Byrd Cookie Company in Savannah, and I told her to tell him I was taking orders!

        If you want a real crowd pleaser that is easy to make and delicious, this is it!  They make a great gift!

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups Rice Krispies (or other puffed rice cereal)
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (or to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper, or very grease them very lightly with a cooking spray.

Combine all of the ingredients together.  Mix all of the dry ingredients first before adding the butter.  This can be done in a large electric mixer with a dough hook, but I donned my food service latex gloves and mixed it by hand. Don't over-mix any kind of dough because it will become tough!  Roll into small balls about one inch in diameter and place them on the cookie sheets an inch apart. Flatten the balls with a fork that has been dipped in water and bake at 325 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.

Don't forget!  If you make the balls much more than one inch in diameter then you will need to cook them a little bit longer, depending on how big they turn out.  Just watch them in the oven, without opening the oven door if possible!

I made some special crisps for myself by sprinkling extra cayenne powder on top of them before baking.  I do like spicy!

Enjoy!  Denise