Technically, these are Cheese Wafers, but I call them Cheese Cookies and I'm addicted (confession: I ate them for dinner one night this week when Andy wasn't home). We always have them at the Farm thanks to sweet Emma. There's usually a batch in the freezer, just waiting to be toasted up (and a few frozen ones popped for those too impatient to wait). They're perfect to keep in the freezer so you always have a tasty nibble if company stops by.
Cheese Cookies
Adapted from Cooking Through Rose Colored Glasses
2 sticks butter, softened (like leave it out overnight)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, packed
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs hot sauce
2 cups crispy rice cereal
Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare 2 cookie sheets by spraying with nonstick spray (no need to respray between batches).
In a large bowl, combine the butter with the grated cheese. Get in there with your hands; it's the only way to do this. After they're completely combined, add the flour and salt, a little bit at a time. Continue to knead with your hands until combined. Add the hot sauce and crispy rice cereal and knead until everything comes together.
Take a heaping half teaspoon of dough (yes, just a half teaspoon... these are best when they're small) and roll it into a ball. Place it on the cookie sheet and smush a little bit. Continue until the sheet is full. Cook at 350 for 8-10 minutes until just starting to get a color. You don't want them to brown if you're planning on freezing them. While one sheet is cooking, form the dough balls for the other sheet. The cookies crisp up as they cool.
If you're not going to eat them all immediately (the recipe makes a pretty big batch), these freeze great! Just cool them and place them in an airtight container. To reheat, place frozen cookies on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes.
