Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour all-purpose
• 1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder 
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 
• 0.5 teaspoon cream of tartar 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.3 teaspoon baking soda 
• 4 oz shortening cold plus more for the pan) cut into small pieces,
• 1.3 cup buttermilk low-fat ((either or full-fat)

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• whisk
• blender

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) and lightly butter a 12-inch (30-cm) cast-iron skillet or a single baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together, smashing any lumps.
3. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Pour in the buttermilk and use a fork to gently stir everything together until a soft, sticky, clumpy dough forms, and no dry patches remain. Don't overmix the dough.
5. Drop 1/4 cup blobs of the dough onto the prepared pan, spacing them about an inch or two apart. You should have 6 to 8 biscuits.
6. Bake until browned on top, about 20 minutes.☞ TESTER TIP: If you're baking these in a skillet, drop one blob of dough in the center, and six more around the outside of the skillet.
7. Let the biscuits cool slightly. Chances are you'll need to swat hands away.