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1
*Pecans, walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts can be toasted.
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2
Pistachios don't need to be toasted.
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3
Pine nuts -- if you can afford to use them, they're wonderful -- toast very quickly, so reduce the oven time and keep a sharp eye on them.
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In a large bowl, beat together the butter, shortening, sugar, tomato powder or paste, cheese, herbs, baking powder and salt till well-combined and fairly smooth.
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Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl midway through.
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6
Mix in the flour till you have a cohesive dough.
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Add the nuts, mixing till they're well-distributed throughout the dough.
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8
Transfer the dough to a work surface (we don't bother to flour the surface; the dough is sticky, but is easily scraped up with a bench knife or dough scraper).
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9
Divide it into three fairly equal pieces, and shape each piece into a rough 10-inch log.
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10
Transfer each log to a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches between each log; you may need to use two baking sheets.
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11
Wet your fingers, and pat the logs into smooth-topped rectangles 10 inches long x 2 1/2 inches wide x 7/8 inch thick.
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12
Bake the logs in a preheated 375F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're beginning to brown around the edges.
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13
Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool for 30 minutes.
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14
Lower the oven temperature to 300F.
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15
Gently transfer the logs to a cutting surface, and use a serrated knife to cut them on the diagonal into 1/2-inch wide slices.
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16
Because of the nuts and the nature of the dough, the biscotti at this point are prone to crumbling; just be sure to use a slow, gentle sawing motion, and accept the fact that some bits and pieces will break off.
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17
(It's the privilege of the cook to eat these warm, tasty bits and pieces as they're created.)
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18
Carefully transfer the slices, cut sides up (and down) to a parchment-lined (makes cleanup easier) or ungreased baking sheet.
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19
You can crowd them together, as they won't expand further; about 1/4-inch breathing space is all that's required.
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20
Return the biscotti to the 300F oven, and bake them for 20 minutes.
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21
Remove them from the oven, quickly turn them over, and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until they're very dry and beginning to brown.
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22
Remove them from the oven, cool completely, and store in an airtight container.
