Cheese Wafers

All Southern women, even those who don’t cook, have a recipe for cheese wafers. (They also all have a recipe for lemon ice box pie made with condensed milk, but that’s another post for another time). Cheese wafers are a great “little something” to have with a drink. And during the holidays they make a welcome hostess gift in contrast to all of the cookies and candy on offer.

My Mother’s recipe makes a wonderfully “sandy” wafer with a texture akin to shortbread. The secret is to use the finest holes on the grater to prep the cheese—a tedious task, but well worth the effort.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

½ pound of sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

scant dash of red pepper

pecan slivers (optional)

Process:

Set butter out in a ceramic bowl to soften. Stir in the grated cheese, preferably using an electric hand mixer to make sure that the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Mix together the flour and spices and gradually add to the cheese mixture. The dough will be quite stiff.

Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Pinch off a small amount of dough and roll into a ball about an inch round. Place on cookie sheet two inches apart. Press each gently with a finger, then top with a pecan sliver. Bake in a 425 over for about 10 minutes or until dry and slightly golden. Watch them carefully! Cheese wafers burn easily.

Remove from oven and quickly transfer to a large plate to cool. Store the wafers in a metal tin where they should keep for about a week.

Theme and Variations:

To make a gift bag of cheese wafers, let them cool completely. Purchase some cellophane bags and glittery pipe cleaners at a craft shop like Ben Franklin or Michael’s. A 12-inch bag holds about two dozen wafers. Close with a festive twist tie and take to a party.