Using a pastry cutter, cut in the shortening before adding the milk, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Just as you would when preparing pie crust–using a pastry cutter for biscuits is one of my secrets to perfect biscuits!) Add the milk and knead your biscuit dough. (Another secret to great biscuits–knead the dough lightly, a few times, adding a pinch of flour if needed to keep dough from sticking to your hands.) Roll out on a floured surface and cut into shapes–circles or triangles are my favorites). Bake at 450-degrees for 10-12 minutes. (Depending on the size of your biscuit cutter, this makes approximately 4-6 biscuits per recipe using 1 cup of mix–double, triple, as needed. I usually make a triple recipe to feed my hungry horde.)

You can use either milk or buttermilk, and either shortening or butter (or even lard, yes, I said LARD, there’s a reason our grandmas made great biscuits). And that is just the beginning! Oh, the creations you can bake with this one recipe!

Based on the 1-cup mix recipe, bake garlic-cheese biscuits (add 3/4 cup grated cheese of your choice and one pressed garlic clove, or even two, or use a teaspoon of garlic powder).

Garden biscuits (add 3/4 cup finely chopped veggies of your choice).

Herb biscuits (add 1/4 cup fresh herbs or a tablespoon dried herbs).

Hot or mild pepper biscuits (add 3/4 cup chopped jalapenos or other peppers).

Bacon or sausage biscuits (add 3/4 cup cooked, crumbled bacon or sausage–make bacon or sausage cheese biscuits! cut the bacon/sausage to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup cheese).

Sweet biscuits (add three tablespoons of sugar and 3/4 cup fruit or berries).