Shirley Corriher's Country Buttermilk Biscuits

Step 1: Preheat oven to 450-degrees.

Step 2: Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with non-stick spray or butter it generously.

Step 3: In a medium mixing bowl, combine, 1 1/2 cups flour, the soda, salt, and sugar. With your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the shortening into the flour mixture until there are no shortening lumps larger than a small pea.

Step 4: Stir in buttermilk and let the dough stand 2 or 3 minutes. It will be very wet. This dough is so wet that you cannot shape it in the usual manner. Pour the remaining cup of flour onto a plate or pie pan. Flour your hands well. Spoon or scoop with a small ice cream scoop a biscuit-sized lump of wet dough into the flour and sprinkle some flour on top. With your hands, shape the biscuit into a soft round, gently shaking off any excess flour. The dough is so soft tht it will not hold its shape. As you shape each biscuit, place it into an 8-inch round cake pan, pushing the biscuits tightly against each other so that they will rise up rather than spread out. Continue shaping the biscuits in this manner using all the dough.

Step 5: Brush the biscuits with the melted butter and place on the oven shelf just above the center. Increase the oven temperature to 475-degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 15 - 18 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool a minute or two in the pan.

Step 6: Makes about 12 - 18 biscuits.

NOTE: if you want an herbed biscuit: Stir 2 - 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or mint into the dough just before adding the buttermilk. Shape and bake as usual.