Mary's Sweet Drop Biscuits

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup shortening (must be cold!)
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender (or 2 knives) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.

3. 3

   Drop biscuits onto a cookie sheets (use a 1/4 cup measure and space 2 inches apart).

4. 4

   Place cookie sheets on 2 oven racks near the center of the oven. Bake biscuits for 12-15 minutes, until they are golden brown, rotating cookie sheets between the upper and lower racks halfway through baking time.

5. 5

   Serve warm.