Paraiso Filipino Native Foods

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Prepare pastry, adding the cheese, paprika, and mustard to pastry mixture before water is added. Gently form pastry into a ball. Roll out on floured surface to a 16 x 12-inch rectangle. Cut into sticks about 1 inch wide and about 4 inches long. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 425ºF about 10 minutes or till golden brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Put Crisco into a mixer bowl. Add cheese gradually, beating at medium speed until mixture is fairly smooth. Blend flour, salt, and pepper. Gradually add to cheese mixture, mixing at low speed. Stir in cereal with spoon. Shape into balls, using 1 tablespoon for each ball.
Arrange balls on ungreased cookie sheets. Lightly press with a fork to make a crisscross pattern. Dip fork in flour as needed to prevent sticking. Press a pecan half onto top of each, if desired.
Bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool for 10 to 12 minutes on cookied sheet, then remove to a rack to cool.