Plain Good Butter Biscuits

This has become my go-to recipe for biscuits. It's simple, quick and uses ingredients I almost always have on hand. I've heard that the best biscuits are made with a butter/lard combo. However, I don't have access to real, additive-free lard and will not touch the chemical mystery food that is shortening, so...Here I am with the next best thing...The Plain Good Butter Biscuit. I got this from Brenda Hyde at SeedsofKnowledge.com and it's based on a 1933 recipe.

• Ready In: 22 mins
• Yields: 12 biscuits

Ingredients

• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 4  tablespoons butter
• 3⁄4 cup milk (about)

Directions

1. Sift the flour then measure. Add b. powder and salt and sift again.
2. Cut in the butter. Hyde recommends using your fingers for this by rubbing the butter into the flour. I usually don't because the heat of my hands and fingers tend to melt the butter and that's not good. If you have "hot hands" too, use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour.
3. Add the milk gradually, stirring gently. Add only enough milk to bring the flour together in a soft ball. Turn the mix onto a floured surface and knead it reluctantly, just enough to incorporate all the milk. Gently pat the dough into a 1/2" tall layer. Handle the dough as little possible so the biscuits will be tender.
4. Cut the dough into rounds or squares and place in a buttered pan. It helps biscuits to rise more if you allow the sides to touch. I don't know why this works but it usually does for me.
5. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes at 400 deg.
6. You can make these into great appetizers by adding shredded cheddar and fresh parsley to the flour before adding milk. Then cut the biscuits with a small cutter (or glass) about 2" in diameter.