Tapenade Goat-Cheese Crackers

Preparation

1. Step 1

   In a food processor or in a large bowl with a pastry blender pulse or blend flour and salt. Cut butter into small pieces. Add butter to flour mixture and pulse or blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Measure 1/3 cup goat cheese, reserving remainder for serving, and break into small pieces. Add cheese to flour mixture and pulse or blend until mixture just begins to form a dough. Halve dough and roll out each half between sheets of parchment paper into a 12- by 10-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). Chill rectangles in parchment on baking sheets until firm, about 30 minutes.

   Step 2

   Preheat oven to 375°F. Transfer 1 rectangle of dough on baking sheet to a work surface and remove top sheet of parchment. Working quickly and using a ruler as a guide, cut rectangle into 1 1/4-inch squares without separating squares. (If dough becomes too soft to work with, freeze or chill on parchment and baking sheet until firm.)

   Step 3

   Bake crackers on parchment and baking sheet in middle of oven until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool crackers on parchment on a rack. (Crackers will continue to crisp as they cool.) Cut and bake more crackers with remaining rectangle of dough. With a spatula carefully remove crackers from parchment. Goat-cheese crackers may be made 5 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

   Step 4

   Spread crackers with reserved goat cheese at room temperature and top with tapenade.