Buttermilk Biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll to 1/2-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place 1 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

**Tips to make the biscuits rise: 1) Use 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (instead of 1/4 as the recipe calls for) and 1/2 a teaspoon of baking powder. 2) Roll the dough out to 3/4" to 1" thickness rather than 1/2" and use a large biscuit cutter (about 3" in diameter). 3) For really authentic Southern biscuits, add 1/2 stick of melted butter to the batter and then brush tops with remaining 1/2 stick of butter when they come out of the oven. 4) Don't bother trying to count calories or fat grams. Just enjoy with homemade sausage gravy!!

***Baking recipes that require only a few ingredients demand PERFECT technique. This biscuit recipe will yield great biscuits if:
1) You don't over-mix (use a fork or your hands),
2) Remember to use AP and not self-rising flour,
3) Don't substitute milk for buttermilk,
4) A brush of melted butter while baking is very nice, and
5) Don't neglect the salt (It’s that important!).

****Also to expand on note #1 above, I press the dough in a large square and cut the biscuits square. That way you don't have to keep re-forming, and thus overworking, the dough remanants to cut more perfect circles. Finally, I freeze most of the unbaked squares between pieces of parchment and bake them fresh in the morning.

*****These are also great because the batter can be easily tweaked; shredded cheese, chunks of cheese, cinnamon & sugar, fresh herbs, etc. The possibilities are endless!

******I used butter flavor Crisco, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup buttermilk with 1/4 cup sour cream wisked into the buttermilk. I thought the dough looked too dry but they baked up perfect! I only got 7 biscuits out of the batch but I made them thick. 10 min at 450 deg. was just right. Sprayed the tops with Can't Believe It's Not Butter when done. They had plenty of flavor. YUM!!