Pretty homemade herb crackers.

I spotted the idea for this on the new Martha Stewart iPad app and figuratively bookmarked it to try. These little herb crackers are so pretty, and the recipe couldn’t be easier: pie dough, some fresh herbs and a soft goat cheese spread. (If you’re in a hurry or you’re not confident in your piecrust skills, then use the premade refrigerated pie dough.) Instead of my usual piecrust recipe, my grandmother’s, I turned to Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food because I wanted an all-butter piecrust recipe. I’ve not made Alice’s before, but it was quite easy to put together; I used my food processor. The piecrust recipe makes enough for a small batch of crackers plus a single-crust pie, or you can just double up on the crackers.

pretty herb crackers

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) very cold butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup ice-cold water (a bit more if needed)
fresh herbs (thyme leaves, parsley, dill or fennel fronds, chives)

Put flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor with the blade; pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse just a couple of times. You want large, knuckle-sized chunks of butter (don’t aim for smaller bits like many piecrust recipes specify, typically referred to as coarse meal). Add water and pulse in short bursts until the dough begins to come together. If needed, add just a teeny bit more water.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide in half. Wrap each half in plastic and shape into a disk. Chill for a couple of hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll one disk out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 inch thick. Use a small cookie cutter (like a fluted square, 1 to 1 1/2 inch wide) to cut shapes very close together.  Place a leaf or two of herb on each square. Roll with your rolling pin gently to press the herbs into the dough. Carefully transfer squares to a baking sheet; bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly golden.

Cool, then spread with a soft goat cheese spread like Chavrie and press two crackers together into sandwiches.