Thanks to an extremely busy fall travel season that has taken me from Phoenix to St. Louis to the Caribbean and, soon, Paris, my holiday baking has gotten off to a slow start. I know Christmas is still a few weeks away, but I typically start baking a few weeks before now and trust my freezer to keep things safe until I’m ready to wrap the goodies up, tie them with a bow and gift to my mail carrier, garbage collectors, UPS and FedEx carriers and others. While my tardiness is a good thing for my waistline, it has done nothing to get me in that holly jolly Christmas spirit.
However, at long last, I finally tied on an apron, got out the mixer and food processor, and began my baking ritual with a batch of Christmas cheese stars, which are actually cheese straws with a little bit of a holiday spin.
For almost a century and maybe longer, home bakers have been shaping cheese straws by extruding the dough from a cookie press fitted with a star or ribbed ribbon die — that’s just a fancy name for the disc you attach to the end of the press. It’s how I always did them myself until the star attachment vanished. I’ll probably find it with missing Tupperware lids, socks and other things that simply vanish to who knows where.
Since no other shapes were really suitable, I’ve been rolling the dough out and cutting it by hand, at times with a pastry wheel or knife, but most often with small decorative cookie cutters.
They’re not as fluffy and airy as those extruded from a press, but they’re a little easier to store without breakage, and decorative shapes make them festive and seasonal. I use a small star cutter at Christmas and assorted leaf shapes in fall, but really anything that suits your fancy will work: a small Christmas tree or bell shape, or simply a small, plain or fluted round.
How they’re shaped isn’t as important, of course, as what goes in them. To be at their best, they require an old, very sharp cheddar. Aldi has an excellent one, as does Trader Joe’s.
When the cheddar available to you isn’t quite up to the mark, a bit of Parmesan mixed in will give it just the right kick.
The other thing I’ve changed over the years is to up the ratio of butter to cheese and flour, which adds a richness to the flavor as well as crispness to the crumb.
Christmas Cheese Stars
1 pound well-aged, extra-sharp cheddar
1 (6-ounce) block Parmesan cheese
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1-2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon salt
15 ounces (about 3 cups) all-purpose flour
Grate both cheeses. In a 12-to-14 cup food processor fitted with a steel blade or with a stand mixer, cream the cheese and butter until fluffy and smooth.
Whisk together the cayenne, salt and flour. Add it to the processor or the mixer in batches, stopping the motor for each addition. Process or knead until the dough is smooth. Gather dough into two equal balls, wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for at least half an hour or up to 1 hour, or for up to three days if you’re making the dough ahead. Don’t let it get completely hard if you plan to make the straws right away.
If you’ve made the dough ahead, let it soften at room temperature for about half an hour before proceeding, so that it’s still cool but pliable. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 325 degrees. If you have a cookie press, fit it with the star die and press the dough onto an ungreased baking sheet into 2½-inch stars, spacing them about half an inch apart.
If you’re not using a press, lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough out a little less than 1/4-inch thick. Cut it with a sharp knife or a zigzag pastry wheel into 1/2-inch by 2 1/2-inch strips, laying them on an ungreased baking sheet as you go. Alternatively, the dough can also be cut with a small, decorative cookie cutter.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Watch carefully. You don’t want them to brown on top. The bottoms should be golden but the tops and sides should not color. Cool them completely in the pan before transferring them to an airtight storage container. Makes 14-15 dozen, depending on shape.
GREEK BAKE SALE, ROUND 2
If you didn’t get the chance to order your Greek treats during November’s Greek Bake Sale, or if you want to add to those you already have or just want more, you’ll have another chance on Friday, Dec. 16, just in time for Christmas.
“We just never have enough time to prepare for the November sale,” says bake sale chairwoman Thea Ballas.
Having a second sale in December gives the Ladies of Philoptochus at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church — and a few men — a little more wiggle room to get the sweet and savory confections into Chattanooga-area homes.
In addition to the trays of spanakopita, baklava and other yummies, the sale will have several additions that weren’t sold at the last sale, including pastichio, a Greek lasagna; flogeres, rolled baklava with chocolate on top; and saragli, a pinwheel-shaped treat with ground nuts and syrup.
Orders may be placed at annunciationgreek.org (follow the link to Bake Sale 2022). Pickup is at the church, 722 Glenwood Drive, on sale day.
OPAL APPLES
Need another holiday to celebrate in December? NationalToday.com has officially recognized Dec. 9 as National Opal Apples Day.
A cross between Golden Delicious and Topaz apples, Opals are known for their bright yellow appearance, distinctive crunch and tangy/sweet flavor. But what makes them really stand out is their natural nonbrowning properties. Opals can be left sliced for hours and won’t turn brown, according to a news release.
Opal apples were discovered in Europe in 1999 and are exclusively sold in North America by FirstFruits Farms in Washington state. They are available from November through June each year. According to opalapples.com, the apples can be found at most local markets, including Costco, Food City, Food Lion, The Fresh Market, Kroger, Shop-Rite, Target, Walmart and Whole Foods.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or annebraly.com.