Though this recipe makes more than enough hors d'oeuvres, they are small and disappear in a New York minute!

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 120 hors d'oeuvres

　　1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　1 1/4 sticks (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter

　　an 11-ounce log soft mild goat cheese

　　about 1 cup tapenade

　　

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.