Sweet, Home-made Buttermilk Biscuits

Oh, yes, indeedy -- Southern comfort food, with or without the sausage gravy!

There's nothing better than hot, fresh, homemade buttermilk biscuits. Split one open and slather it with REAL buutter and honey, while they're just warm from the oven. Once you've tried a real Southern woman's biscuits (get your mind out of the gutter,pervert!), . I don't think the store-bought, canned biscuits will ever suffice again.

You will need:

3 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup Crisco shortening (or lard, if you can get it)

To Prepare:

Preheat the oven to 45o.

Sift the flour to make sure there are no lumps.
Add in the baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
Add the Crisco slowly, working it into the dry ingredients.
You can use a large spatula or spoon, but I prefer pastry knives or a fork.

Next add the buttermilk, working it into the mixture too.
After everything is thoroughly mixed, plop it down on a floured counter top or cutting board.
Knead your dough until it is about the consistency of play-doh.
You can make it a little dryer if need be by sprinkling more flour on your counter or cutting board. (As you knead your dough,it will pick up more of the flour. )

After you have it the right consistency you can shape your biscuits by hand or use a glass.

I prefer to pinch a chunk of dough off , roll it into a ball, and then pat it flat.

It takes a little practice to get your biscuits all about the same size.

(If you're anal retentive about the biscuit shapes, you shouldn't be making them. If you insist on perfectly shaped, round biscuits, you can roll out your dough using a rolling pin and then cut them with a glass.)

Place your biscuits on a cookie sheet that is either lightly greased or lightly sprinkled with
flour. (If you use the flour option, be sure not to put too much.)

Bake these biscuits for rougly 18 minutes on the middle rack in your oven. They're done to perfection when the little tops are just lightly browned.

Pop them out of the oven and eat them while still piping hot. That's the only way to get the butter
to melt just right.

Enjoy!