Authors: Lovella Schellenberg,Anneliese Friesen,Judy Wiebe,Betty Reimer,Bev Klassen,Charlotte Penner,Ellen Bayles,Julie Klassen,Kathy McLellan,Marg Bartel

Mennonite Girls Can Cook (31 page)

Cheese Straws

........................................... Yields 4 dozen

½ cup / 140 g brown rice flour
¼ cup / 30 g tapioca starch
¼ cup / 35 g potato starch
1 teaspoon / 6 g xanthan gum
1 teaspoon / 6 g dry mustard
½ teaspoon / 4 g salt
1 cup / 80 g grated cheese
½ cup / 115 g butter
3 tablespoons / 45 ml water
1 teaspoon / 5 ml Worcestershire sauce (make sure the Worcestershire sauce is gluten free or make your own)

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Mix and cut in the butter.
Add cold water and Worcestershire sauce. Add more water, if necessary until dough is easy to handle.
Sprinkle a small amount of sweet rice flour onto a flat surface. Roll dough into a thin sheet. Cut into 5 × ½-inch / 15 × 1.5-cm strips and twist each strip.
Put on pan and chill in refrigerator for ½ hour or more.
Bake at 450° F / 230° C for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Tip:
These cheese straws are delicious when served alone as a snack, or when eaten with salad or soup.

—
Julie

I got this recipe from a coworker many years ago, and I adapted it to make it gluten free. For the original recipe, just substitute all the flours with 1 cup / 250 ml wheat flour and leave out the xanthan gum. With wheat flour the dough is much easier to twist into straws, but do the best you can with the gluten-free dough. It handles quite well.

Julie says

Maple Twists

.......................................... Yields 16 twists

Dough

¾ cup / 175 ml milk
¼ cup / 60 ml butter or margarine
2¾-3 cups / 675-750 ml flour
3 tablespoons / 45 ml sugar
½ teaspoon / 2 ml salt
1 tablespoon / 15 ml instant yeast
1 egg
1 teaspoon / 5 ml maple extract

Filling

½ cup / 125 ml sugar
cup / 75 ml of chopped nuts, optional
1 teaspoon / 5 ml cinnamon
1 teaspoon / 5 ml maple extract
¼ cup / 60 ml melted butter, for brushing between the layers

Glaze

1 cup / 250 ml icing sugar
2 tablespoons / 30 ml butter, melted
1-2 tablespoons / 15-30 ml milk
½ teaspoon / 2 ml maple extract

Heat milk and butter until very warm and butter begins to melt.
In a mixer, blend liquids with 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast, salt, egg, and extract on low speed for 2 minutes.
By hand, stir in remaining flour to form a soft dough; knead 5 minutes.
Let rise in the oven with the oven light on for 45 minutes or until double in bulk.
Meanwhile combine the filling ingredients.
Grease a 12-inch / 30-cm pizza pan with butter or margarine.
Divide dough into 3 balls. Roll out 1 ball to fit the pizza pan.
Brush with melted butter and top with
of the filling. Repeat layers with remaining balls.
Place a round 2-inch / 5-cm glass or cookie cutter in the center of the dough and press down to cut a circle.
With a sharp scissors, cut 16 wedges from the outside to the center.
Twist each wedge about 3-5 times; press down end to hold in place.
Cover and let rise until double in bulk.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375° F / 190° C for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pan onto serving dish.
While warm drizzle with the glaze.

—
Charlotte

I have taught women’s groups at several churches how to make this recipe. It has been deemed a fantastic recipe, and is so much fun to do together in a large group. It’s easier to make these twists than it looks, and they are worth the effort. You will be so pleased from the time the aroma of baking cinnamon and maple teases your senses until you enjoy your first bite. This is a good recipe to enjoy in fall and winter. Happy baking!

Charlotte says