Best Buttermilk Biscuits

I found a recipe in the 12th Edition of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and modified it a bit to suit my liking. I served them along side a hearty beef stew. My husband proclaimed they are by far the best biscuits I've ever made. They turned out flaky and buttery and raised so nicely that we could actually peel the layers apart.

• Ready In: 27 mins
• Yields: 10 biscuits

Ingredients

• 3  cups flour
• 4  teaspoons baking powder
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1  cup butter, chilled
• 1 1⁄4 cups buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cream of tartar.
3. Slice butter into cubes and cut into flour mixture until pea-sized crumbs form.
4. Add buttermilk and stir with a fork untl mixture is moistened.
5. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, kneeding and folding dough until it holds together. Be careful not to handle too much, or the biscuits will become tough and butter will melt.
6. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough until 1/4-inch thick. Cut out biscuits with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter and place 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until raised and golden brown.
7. Serve warm.