Basic Biscuits

Basic Biscuits

3 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
or vegetable shortening
1 egg -- lightly beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons milk
1 spray shortening and corn meal for coating pan

Preheat oven to 400~.In a food processor or a large bowl, mix 3 cups of
the flour with the salt,sugar and baking powder. Cut the butter into the
dry ingredients until the mixture is textured like cornmeal. Separately
mix the egg with the milk,and stir all but 2 tbsp. of this liquid into the
dry mixture. Mix just enough to make a uniformly moistened dough. Dust a
clean work surface with 1/2 the remaining flour,and turn the dough out
onto the floured surface. Sprinkle the top with the rest of the flour,and
with floured hands,gently push the dough into a circle about 1/2" thick.
Cut with a 2" or 3" biscuit cutter,and place the cut biscuits close
together on a greased corn meal coated cookie sheet. You will get about 12
biscuits. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the reserved milk egg
mixture. Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and brown,about 15
minutes. Cool for a few minutes before serving. Yields about a dozen
biscuits.