Biscuits - Is there anything better

Is there anything better that fresh hot biscuits on a weekend morning...ok, with lunch or dinner is pretty good too. My family loves biscuits and I have found that they are really easy to make if you plan ahead.

To start, I make my own biscuit mix and keep it in the pantry. It's considerably cheaper than buying the pre-made mix or the refrigerator rolls.

Baking Mix (you can easily cut this or double it)

3 Cups all purpose Flour
1 1/2 tbl Baking Powder
1/2 tbl salt
1/3 cup Crisco Shortening (or whatever type you like)

place all the ingredients into a bowl (with pasty knife, fork or hands) or Cuisinart (pulse) and process until the majority looks like gravel or pea size balls.

Place in a ziploc bag or containing for later use.

Total Time - 5 mins...easy huh?

Biscuits
Now this is pretty easy too

Take about 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of the mix above and place in a bowl

Cut 2 tbl cold butter into small pads or cubes

Using a pastry knife, fork, or hands process the butter into the mixture (The butter makes the biscuits rich and flake

Once done, make a small well in the center and add approx. 1/4 - 1/3 cup of Milk, Cream, or you can mix 1/2 milk and 1/2 ginger ale or lemon lime soda)

From the outside working in, toss the flour over the liquid and continue doing this until the doe is formed and lightly moist. Add flour/mix if too wet, add liquid it too dry

  

Remove from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface and kneed the dough. I like to press it out then fold it over at least 10 times. This will add to the flake-ness of the biscuits.

Next, roll the dough so that it is 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick

Use a biscuit cutter or clean tuna can to cut out the biscuits. You will get 2-3 from this step

Kneed the dough again and roll out - you will be able to cut out 1-2 additional biscuits

If there is dough left and enough for an additional biscuit, kneed and roll again. Discard the remaining

Place the cut biscuits into a cast iron skillet or baking sheet (I like then touching, no separation required)

Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree over for 12-15 minutes until lightly brown on the top

Remove from oven and take either margarine or butter and spread over the top of the hot biscuits.

Wait 5-10 mins before serving.

Pretty easy, and extremely delicious! Serve with butter, make a breakfast sandwich, or if you are adventurous, make some gravy....recipe for my bacon gravel will be in the future.

Enjoy!