Baking Powder Biscuits.

This is the recipe for making classic, old-fashioned homemade, sweet milk baking powder biscuits. For a tender biscuit with a slight tangy flavor, check out the recipe for a down-home southern favorite, Buttermilk Biscuits.

Baking Powder Biscuits

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup vegetable shortening About 3/4 cup milk Melted butter for brushing tops of biscuits

Preheat oven to 425°F ( 220°C).
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal.
Using a fork, stir in just enough milk so that dough leaves side of bowl and rounds up into a ball. (Too much milk will result in sticky dough, too little and biscuits will be dry.)
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly a few times, about 30 seconds.
Roll to 1/2 to 3/4-inch thickness and cut with a floured 2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet about 1-inch apart for crusty sides, or together for soft sides.
Brush tops liberally with melted butter.
Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove immediately from baking sheet and serve hot.

Makes about 1 dozen biscuits.

Cook's Note: There's no law that says biscuits have to be round. For quicker, easier biscuits, roll dough into a 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick rectangle and cut evenly into square biscuits. This eliminates having to re-roll the scraps when using a biscuit cutter.

"Delicious! I'm eating these as I type this. I've tried for years to make home-made biscuits but never got the hang of it. My Grandmother tried to teach me as a youngster but she used the "Start with a heap of flour, make a well in the middle and ..." Mine always came out like rocks. I've tried numerous other recipes over the years, but always with the same result... rocks. This is the first recipe I've used where they came out light and fluffy and baked up so high I thought they'd jump out of the skillet. (yes, I bake my biscuits and cornbread in an iron skillet). The only complaint I had was they came out a bit salty for my taste, so I'll cut the salt back to 1/2 teaspoon next time, but other than that, they're perfect! This will be a permanent addition to my recipe box. Thank you again and God Bless. " - Brad Williams of Little Rock, Arkansas.

"Way too salty! Cut salt in half! Down to a half teaspon per two cups flour. Suggestion: Use aluminum free baking powder, otherwise you'll taste aluminum as well as salt." - Joe Knotts