Growing up, these biscuits were not a Sunday dinner staple; they were something to be turned into a wonderful summertime treat. My mom would load up strawberries and vanilla ice cream between one or two of these little cakes and top it with whipped cream. At breakfast the next morning we would beg for more, and if there were any biscuits left we were allowed to enjoy an encore, this time with strawberries and milk, because that's Healthier, of course.The texture of this biscuit is more that of a scone. I'm positive that adding dried currants, shaping them into triangles and sprinkling them with sugar would make any scone lover happy.
Mary Nichols' Shortcake Biscuits
Preheat oven to 400 f.
Sift together into a large bowl:
4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Cut in with pastry cutter or 2 knives until a coarse meal forms:
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. unsalted butter (Grandma used Crisco, I use butter. You choose.)
Form a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in:
1 1/3 cup milk
Mix well with your hands until combined. Turn half dough out at a time onto a well floured surface, sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough.
Roll out to 1/2" thick. Bake on a parchment lined sheet at 400 for 10-13 minutes.
Makes 18 delicious morsels.
