SAVORY CHEESE BISCOTTI

"Keep these in a jar on the counter for a savory (rather than sweet) after-work treat. They're great to nibble on as you're preparing supper."

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons tomato powder or 2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 to 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs (use a single herb or combination of rosemary, basil, parsley and/or oregano)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, or pistachio nuts, toasted*

*Pecans, walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts can be toasted. Pistachios don't need to be toasted. 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.

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. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl midway through. Mix in the flour till you have a cohesive dough. Add the nuts, mixing till they're well-distributed throughout the dough.

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). Divide it into three fairly equal pieces, and shape each piece into a rough 10-inch log. 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. 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.

Bake the logs in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're beginning to brown around the edges. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool for 30 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

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. 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. (It's the privilege of the cook to eat these warm, tasty bits and pieces as they're created.) Carefully transfer the slices, cut sides up (and down) to a parchment-lined (makes cleanup easier) or ungreased baking sheet. You can crowd them together, as they won't expand further; about 1/4-inch breathing space is all that's required.

Return the biscotti to the 300 degree F oven, and bake them for 20 minutes. 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. Remove them from the oven, cool completely, and store in an airtight container.

Yield: about 60 biscotti
Source: The King Arthur Flour Company