Biscuits

(Biscuits)

Ingrédients :

2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup milk 

Probably to toughest item on the easy down-home menu is making the biscuits. Of course, if you don't care to make biscuits from scratch, you can always sneak out your box of Bisquick or Jiffy Mix. 

Pour all dry ingredients into a bowl and thoroughly mix. Then cut in the shortening. You will want the mixture to result in rough, large crumbs. Add milk and stir. When the dough clings together knead 12 times on a floured surface. (Kneading is basically folding the dough in half and then pressing down with the heels of your hands. This process rubs the glutten in the flour together and causes the buscuits to have texture.) 

Pat down the mixture to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Then with a drinking glass cut round shapes out of the dough. Place each one onto an ungreased baking sheet. Knead the leftover dough one or two times and cut again until all of dough is used up. 

Place pan in 450 degree oven for 12 minutes or so. You should end up with about 10 biscuits.