Spicy Straw Stacks Recipes

SPICY STRAW STACKS

Steps:

• Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment or waxed paper; spray paper with cooking spray.
• In 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in sugar, corn syrup and peppers. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until sugar melts and glaze begins to thicken. (Mixture will look foamy.)
• Remove from heat; stir in nuts and chow mein noodles. Immediately drop in stacks of about 2 tablespoons each onto cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Cool completely.

SPICED PORK CRACKLING STRAWS

Steps:

• Preferably in a spice grinder (but if you don't have one, in a pestle and mortar) grind 1 tsp of the fennel seeds with the peppercorns, star anise and salt as finely as you can then stir through the paprika and whole fennel seeds and set aside.
• Using a craft knife (also known as a tiling knife or a Stanley knife) and a ruler to cut against, carefully cut the pork skin into thin strips that are about 1cm wide. Tip the strips into a bowl or dish and coat well in the spice seasoning, tossing and rubbing the seasoning into the pork with your hands until it's all well coated. Cover and set the pork aside for at least an hour (or for up to 2 days in the fridge). The longer you leave it, the more the spices will permeate the pork.
• To cook, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and get two similar sized large, shallow, sturdy baking trays - Swiss roll trays are ideal. Line the base to one of the trays with parchment paper and lay the pork skin over as evenly as possible. Ideally, you don't want the strips to touch too much, but if there is a bit of contact that's fine. Lay another sheet of parchment paper over the skin and top with the 2nd tray, then place a heavy oven-proof dish like a casserole on top to weigh the top tray down.
• Place everything in the middle of the oven for 40 mins, then carefully remove. Lift off the top tray and layer of paper and, using a fish slice or tongs, turn the straws and separate any that are touching and starting to stick together, then carefully pour off any fat. Place the paper and the weighted tray back on top and continue to cook for another 20 mins. Check again - what you are looking for are uniformly blistered, rusty coloured, snapable strips of pork skin. If they need longer, place them back in the oven covered with the weighed tray for another 10 mins and continue until they get there. The time very much depends on the quality of the pork - very good quality pork will take half the time it takes lesser quality pork to crisp-up.
• When the straws are ready, drain them on kitchen paper then leave to cool. They will now keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Just before serving either sprinkle with a little more salt or dust them generously with icing sugar, or spilt them in two and do one to each half.

SPICY CHEDDAR CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Pulse first 5 ingredients in a food processor at 5-second intervals until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add half-and-half, and process 10 seconds or until dough forms a ball. (Dough may be wrapped in plastic wrap, sealed in a ziplock plastic freezer bag, and chilled up to 3 days.)
• Preheat oven to 350°. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface; divide in half. Roll each half into a 12- x 8-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). Cut dough into 3/4-inch-wide strips using a sharp knife or fluted pastry wheel, dipping knife in flour after each cut to ensure clean cuts. Place strips on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are well browned; cool on baking sheets on wire racks 30 minutes.

SPICY CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Melt butter in the microwave.
• Combine warm butter, salt, red pepper and room temperature cheese in a food processor.
• Add in flour and blend until mixed well.
• Press thru star shaped cookie press in a continuous ribbon onto a non-stick cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 20 minutes until slightly crusty(depending on oven).

STRAWBERRY STACKS

Steps:

• Mix flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, orange peel and salt in medium bowl. Add butter and shortening and rub in, using fingertips, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle orange juice over. Stir with fork until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter heavy large baking sheet. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to scant 1/4-inch-thick round. Using 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Reroll scraps and cut out additional rounds, forming 8 total. Transfer rounds to prepared baking sheet. Brush lightly with cream. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar, dividing equally. Bake cookies until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on rack.
• Combine quartered strawberries, 2 tablespoons sugar and Grand Marnier in medium bowl. Beat 1 cup whipping cream, vanilla and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another medium bowl until soft peaks form.
• Place 1 cookie on each of 4 plates. Top cookie with berry mixture, dividing equally and allowing mixture to spill over sides of cookies. Spoon large dollops of whipping cream over. Top each with second cookie. Garnish tops with small dollops of whipped cream and whole strawberries.

SPICY CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325.
• In a mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy.
• Add Cheese and mix until blended.
• Add remaining ingredients and mix till it forms dough.
• Put dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes. You want slightly stiff dough, but that is pliable enough to pipe through the cookie press.
• Have cookie press fitted with the ridge tip or star tip.
• Press dough in 2-inch strips on cookie sheet.
• Bake 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

SPICY CUMIN CHEESE STRAWS

Steps:

• In a small bowl toss together cheese, ground cumin, and cayenne.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out pastry into a 14- by 12-inch rectangle and brush with some egg wash. Cut pastry in half crosswise, forming two 12- by 7-inch rectangles. Sprinkle cheese over 1 rectangle and top with other rectangle, egg-wash side down, pressing it firmly to force out any air pockets. Roll pastry out slightly to make layers adhere (rectangle should be about 12 1/2 by 7 1/2 inches). Brush pastry with some remaining egg wash and sprinkle evenly with cuminseed and sea salt.
• With a pastry wheel or sharp knife cut pastry into strips about 7 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Twist strips and arrange on baking sheets, pressing ends onto sheet to keep strips twisted. Cheese straws may be prepared up to this point 2 weeks ahead. Freeze cheese straws on baking sheets 1 hour, or until frozen, and transfer to a resealable freezer bag. Do not thaw cheese straws before proceeding.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. and grease 2 baking sheets.
• Arrange half of cheese straws about 1 inch apart on 1 baking sheet and bake in middle of oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until pale golden. Bake remaining cheese straws in same manner.
• Serve cheese straws warm at room temperature.