Cheddar Cheese Wafers Paula Goren Recipes

SOUTHERN PECAN CHEESE WAFERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce until smooth and creamy.
• Add 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika, if you're using it. Beat well, scraping the sides.
• Add the cheddar cheese and beat well, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Cover the dough and chill well, at least 2 or 3 hours or up to 3 days.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the baking sheet 1 inch apart. Press the top of each ball with a fork (if the fork sticks, coat with flour).
• Place a pecan half on top of each wafer.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until the edges are quite brown.
• Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store covered on the counter. Best served within 2 days.
• Re-heating: I made these a day in advance as Thanksgiving appetizers. They lose a bit of their crunch by day 2, so I spread them out on baking sheets and baked at 350 for about 5 minutes until they got crispy again. Worked great!

CHEESE WAFERS

Steps:

• In a medium size mixing bowl, blend together butter or margarine and flour. Mix in the Cheddar cheese, salt, red pepper, hot pepper sauce, and pecans. Form the dough into a roll, wrap in parchment paper, and refrigerate over night.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Slice dough into very thin wafers. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crisp.

PECAN-DATE CHEESE WAFERS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine butter, cheese, pecans, dates and red pepper.
• Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined.
• Gradually add flour, beating until just combined.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls.
• Place balls 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
• Using a flat-bottomed glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1/4-inch thickness.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• Let cool on pans for 2 minutes.
• Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.