Breakfast Biscuits

... or any time of the day.

As promised months ago (I bet you forgot about them didn't you?), here are the biscuits we have been CRAZY about.  When you see the pictures, you will understand why I have not posted this before now.  I normally make these when everyone is asleep.  But, just special for you today, I made these while Hannah was awake.  She helped me with the photos since my hands were pretty sticky.

WARNING:  These biscuits contain shortening (gasp!).  I know... I know...  You can use only butter.  But, somehow, some way, that little bit of shortening just makes them OH SO YUMMY and I can't give it up in this recipe.

Here is the recipe:
3 cups of all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon of baking powder
1 Tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
3/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1 stick of butter (cold)
1/4 cup of shortening
1 1/4 cups of milk

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
-Combine in a large bowl:  Flour, Baking Powder, Sugar, Salt and Cream of Tartar
-Wisk to mix well.
-Using a pastry blender (or your hands) cut butter and shortening into four mixture.
-Make a well in the flour mix and pour the milk in.
-Mix well with a wooden spoon.
-Spoon out to make 12 biscuits.
-Shape a little.
-Bake at 450 degrees for 10 - 14 minutes.

I chopped up my butter in small pieces.

I use my hands to 'cut' in the butter and shortening because I do not have a pastry blender. 

This is why Hannah had to take all the photos.

This is what the mix looks like when it is crumbly and mixed up good.

Don't forget to make the well in the middle.  Then, pour the milk in.

Mix it up like normal.

I kind of eyeball it to spoon out twelve biscuits.  At the end, I check to see if all of them look pretty much the same and then take from one and give to another until they are all even.

I then shape them around a little bit to make them look more like real biscuits instead of blobs.

They still kind of look like blobs.

When they are finished in the oven, they are slightly browned and if you lift one with a fork, it should be slightly brown on the bottom too.

These biscuits freeze perfectly.  We make a batch and since we don't want to eat them all right then (well, we do 'want' to eat them all, but we don't), we put them in the freezer for future breakfasts.  You could thaw them out by laying them out on the counter the night before, or (shut your eyes) put them in the microwave for a couple minutes on defrost.

I said "shut your eyes" a little while ago because I just despise a microwave. 

Horrible... simply horrible for your body.