Baking Powder Biscuits

Move the oven rack to the lowest third of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a pastry blender to cut the lard or shortening into the dry ingredients until the pieces are about the size of rice grains. Lightly stir in the milk, adding more if the dough does not come together.

Form the dough into a ball and dump it onto a floured surface. Pat the dough to a ¾-inch thickness. Cut biscuits with a 2- to 3-inch round biscuit cutter, and place them about an inch apart on a large cookie sheet or jellyroll pan. Gather the scraps and repeat until all the dough is used. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until brown on the bottom. If the tops are white, broil until brown, about 1 minute.