MIN'S CHEAP, NO BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Mix flour, salt, baking powder and cream of tartar.
• Cut shortening into dry ingredients till it resembles coarse cornmeal.
• Whisk egg into milk and then add milk mixture to dry ingredients just till combined.
• Pat out dough on floured surface till about 3/4" thick - try to handle as little as possible.
• Cut into biscuits.
• I bake mine in a preheated cast iron skillet.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or till light brown.
• Makes 12-15 biscuits (depending on what size glass you find to cut them with!).
• Variations:.
• *add 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoons cinnamon to dry ingredients and 1 teaspoons vanilla extract to milk mixture for sweet biscuits. Its also REALLY good to add about 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries to these - leave out the cinnamon and they taste a lot like scones. Just add berries before the wet ingredients. Great with butter and honey or jelly.
• *add 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 teaspoons dry italian herbs and 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic to dry ingredients. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top before baking for a quick Italian side bread in place of breadsticks/garlic bread.
• *add 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 1 cup cooked meat (sausage, bacon or ham), and 2 eggs (cooked/scrambled) for take-and-go breakfast biscuits. Mix the cheese, meat and eggs with the flour before adding the wet ingredients. The meat, egg and cheese are baked right into the biscuits. These freeze really well in small ziplocks and can be microwaved for about 1 minute for instant breakfast.