Beat first 6 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty stand mixer until well blended.
Add flour a little at a time, beating just until combined.
Spoon into a cookie press with a star shaped disk.
Shape the mixture into long ribbons on prepared baking sheets.
Cut ribbons into 4-inch pieces.
Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove to wire racks to cool.
Sprinkle with a little seasoned salt if desired.
Notes
This takes a heavy duty cookie press as the dough is quite sturdy. You can also roll it out and cut it in strips.Storage:You can store leftover cheese straws in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. For longer storage, freeze baked cheese straws for up to three months in a tightly covered container. Recrisp in the oven.Tips:
Use cheese grated from a block.
Let your butter soften to room temperature first because it’s hard to blend cold butter with the other ingredients.
The dough is too thick to blend with a handheld electric mixer. I recommend combining the ingredients in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a food processor. Pulse the dry ingredients until combined, then add in the cubed butter and shredded cheese and pulse until the flour mixture forms a dough.
Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to slice the strips of dough into 4 to 6-inch lengths.
Make sure your prepared baking sheet is lined with parchment paper so the cheese straws don’t stick to the pan and burn.
Let your cheese straws rest on a cooling rack for 4-5 minutes. They’ll get firm and crispy while they cool, so this is important!