Best-ever Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening or butter
2/3 cup milk
Instructions:
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes In a medium mixing bowl stir
together flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix well to
distribute the baking powder and the salt. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut
shortening into flour mixture till the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If you
use butter, be sure it is chilled. (Mixing by hand softens the shortening,
making the dough sticky and hard to handle.) Gently push the flour-shortening
mixture against the sides of the bowl, making a well in the center. Pour the
milk into the well all at once. Using a fork, stir just till the mixture follows
the fork around the bowl and forms a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a
lightly floured surface. Knead gently 10 to 12 strokes. On the lightly floured
surface, pat the dough to 1/2-inch thickness (or roll it out with a lightly
floured rolling pin, if desired). Sprinkle a little flour over dough. Cut
biscuit dough with a 2-1/2-inch round biscuit cutter, pressing the cutter
straight down. Be careful not to twist the cutter or flatten the cut biscuit
edges or you won't get straight-sided, evenly shaped biscuits. Dip the cutter
into flour between cuts to prevent sticking. If you do not have a biscuit
cutter, use a straight-sided glass. Or, pat the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick
rectangle and cut into squares or triangles using a sharp knife. Using a metal
spatula, carefully transfer the cut biscuits to an ungreased baking sheet. For
crusty-sided biscuits, place about 1 inch apart. For soft-sided biscuits, place
biscuits close together in an ungreased baking pan. Reroll scraps of dough and
cut into biscuit shapes. Try to cut out as many biscuits as possible from a
single rolling of dough. Too many rerollings of the dough causes biscuits to be
tough and dry. Bake biscuits in 450° F oven 10 to 12 minutes or till biscuits
are golden on the top and the bottom. Serve warm.