PRAISE THE LARD BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Servings: 15 Start to finish: 30 minutes (Inactive time: 15 minutes) 2-1/4 cups self-rising flour, divided 1/4 cup cold (1 stick) lard (or cold butter that you grate with a box grater in a pinch) 1/2-3/4 cup real buttermilk 1 stick salted butter, melted Heat oven to 425 F. Place parchment paper in cookie sheet or half- sheet pan.

Place 2 cups of flour in large bowl. Cut in shortening, using a pastry blender or blending fork.(or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1/2 cup of buttermilk; stir with fork until soft dough forms and mixture begins to pull away from sides of bowl. If the dough is too wet, add the extra 1/4 cup of flour, little by little. If it is too dry, add the extra 1/4 cup of buttermilk, little by little.

On lightly floured surface, knead dough 1-2 times, or just until smooth. Do not over-work the dough. Roll out dough to about 1/3-inch thickness and fold over. Roll out the folded-over dough so that it is even. Cut straight down with a floured 2-inch round cutter — do not twist the cutter. Place biscuits on the sheet pan. Brush the tops with the melted butter.

Place in the center of the oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. While the biscuits are still on the sheet pan, brush tops again with the melted salted butter. Transfer from sheet pan to a cooling rack.

Serve warm with butter, honey and molasses or your favorite jam or ham.

Chef's Note: If making in advance to freeze, follow recipe up until you brush the tops with melted butter. Place on a piece of parchment on a tray and place in the freezer without any wrap. Let freeze and when biscuits are completely frozen, slide the parchment paper and biscuits into a heavy-duty freezer bag. If the bag is too small, fold the piece of parchment paper and place in the bag with the frozen biscuits. That way, you will have the parchment to bake them on in the bag. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 F and bake until tops are brown and the biscuits are done, about 15-17 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.