Recipe: Touch-of-Grace Biscuits

TOUCH-OF-GRACE BISCUITS

"The secret of these sensationally light biscuits is the steam produced by a moist dough and baking the biscuits up against each other.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Set a rack in center of oven."

Blend together in a bowl:
1 1/2 cups (measured by dipping cup into flour and leveling against side of bag) white lily self-rising flour, or 1 cup other brand self-rising flour and 1/2 cup granulated flour (i.e.Wondra or shake and blend), plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
Between 1/8 and 1/4 teaspoon salt

Work in with finger tips:
3 tablespoons shortening (Crisco, Spry, etc.)

Add and stir with a spoon until just mixed - dough will be wet and gooey:
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup heavy cream

For shaping and baking:
Spray 8-inch cake pan with non-stick spray. Have 1 cup non-self-rising flour in a pie plate. Spray a medium ice cream scoop or tablespoon with non-stick spray . Scoop up biscuit dough and drop in flour.

Sprinkle with flour and roll in flour. Shake off excess and shape into a tall round. Place in cake pan. Continue process until all dough is used, pressing biscuits snugly next to each other. For wretched excess, you could brush bicuits with melted butter.

Bake about 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Eat hot, turning out the panful of biscuits onto a platter, and gently separating them with a paring knife.

Source: Shirley Corriher, The Splendid Table
http://www.publicradio.org/columns/splendid-table/recipes/bread_biscuits.html