Cheese brushwood with spices

Ingredients:

• 3 x 280g pieces sharp cheddar, grated cold, then warmed to room temperature
• 220 g softened butter
• 4 cups sifted flour
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• A little garlic powder
• Special equipment: cookie press with a star-shaped attachment

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Place the softened cheese and butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat the mixture until it reaches the consistency of whipped cream, about 15 to 30 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, sift 3 cups of flour with salt, black and cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Gradually fold the flour mixture into the cheese mixture, beating well after each addition. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1 cup of plain flour until you have a firm but soft dough that can be pressed through a pastry press; you may not need all the flour.
4. Lightly spray 4 baking sheets with cooking spray. Place some of the dough into a cookie press fitted with a star tip and press the dough onto the baking sheet in long strips down the length of the sheet. Repeat until the entire sheet is filled. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.
5. Next, using your hands or a sharp knife, break or cut the long strips into 7-cm pieces. Using a spatula, remove the cheese sticks from the baking sheet. Cool on a wire rack. Once completely cool, serve or store in an airtight container.
   
   Note
   
   If you don't have a cookie press, form the dough into 2.5cm balls and flatten them with a fork..