Spicy Honey Rosemary Cheese Snacks

From: Marie Simmons, cookbook author. Yield: 48 4” sticks.

4 oz. (about 2 cups) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. hot sauce
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup fresh rosemary, finely chopped
½ tsp. coarse salt

Glaze:
¼ cup honey
1 tsp. hot sauce
to taste, coarse salt

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two sheet pans with baking parchment paper. Place cheese, butter, honey and hot sauce in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add flour, rosemary and salt; pulse repeatedly until mixture clumps and forms a ball when pinched between fingertips. 

Remove food processor blade and turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and press into a ½” thick circle. Divide circle in quarters. Cut each quarter into 4 even pieces. Gently roll each into a 12”-long pencil-thin rope. Cut into 4” lengths and place on prepared baking sheets at 1” intervals.

For glaze: Combine honey and hot sauce in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring until very thin, about 5 to 10 seconds. With a small brush, lightly brush each stick with the glaze.

Arrange cheese sticks on a plate and cover lightly with a dish towel. If tightly covered, the sticks will lose their crispness. Alternately, wrap the sticks in baking parchment.