Cheese Straws/Crackers

Ingredients:

• 113 g butter, softened (1 stick)

• 115 g shredded cheddar cheese (1/2 cup)

• 65 g whey protein powder (WPP) (1/3 cup)

• 2 g xanthan gum (about 1/2 tsp)

• 1 g baking powder (about 1/4 tsp)

• 1/4 g garlic powder (pinch) or to taste

• 1/4 g cayenne powder (pinch) or to taste

Instructions:

Soften butter, and cream it with a handheld mixer.

Add shredded cheese and mix till thoroughly combined.

Add xanthan gum, garlic powder, and cayenne to WPP. Add this to butter/cheese mixture a little at a time, stirring with a spoon to combine thoroughly. Mixture will resemble coarse meal.

Scoop up a spoonful of dough and roll in your palm to make a small ball. Flatten ball to make rounds or roll it into a “snake” to make a breadstick shape.

Bake on a silicone mat at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until starting to brown lightly.

Cool for 5 minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

These can also be changed up for a different flavor. For example, I change the cheese to mozzarella and add cinnamon instead of the garlic and cayenne. Other flavors would also work so you can definitely play around with it.