Buttermilk Biscuits

Like all good Southern cooks, I make KICKASS homemade biscuits. They are tender and flaky and oh soooooo yummy. Here's my recipe. :) I usually double it for my brood.

3 cups AP flour
2 Tbs sugar
2.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold shortening
1 cup buttermilk
1/2-1 stick butter, melted

Start by mixing all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl with your hands.. Then work in the shortening.. you can use a pastry cutter, but I honestly just do it with my hands. I just rub the flour between my hands, working the shortening all through until the flour and like coarse crumbs. I usually dip my hands in ice water to keep them from warming the dough up. Once the shortening is worked in, pour in the buttermilk and work the dough together.. Dump it all out onto a floured surface and knead for a minute just until the dough comes together... roll it out into a half inch thickness and use a biscuit cutter (or as in my case, a wine glass LOL) to cut the biscuits into rounds. Place the biscuits on a greased pan (I like my cast iron griddle but when I am making a double batch, I just do them on a cookie sheet) and make a small indentation into the tops of them with your fingers... Brush the tops of the unbaked biscuits, filling the little indentation, with the melted butter and bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes until they are golden brown and delicious.

**If you want layered biscuits (like grands flaky layers biscuits) simply roll(very very lightly, don't press too hard) the dough out and then fold it in half. Roll it again and fold it in half again Repeat this process several times before cutting the biscuits.. when they bake they will puff up and you will get layered biscuits.