Working on a batch of biscuits now.
My wife makes fantastic sausage gravy, I tried making drop biscuits one time so we could have biscuits and gravy. I grabbed her Better Homes and Garden cookbook and gave it a try. I tried with butter and they just puddled out, the next time I tried with butter flavored crisco and they ended up rock hard. The third time I tried making them with half butter and half butter flavored crisco. I was making a double batch and screwed up my measurements, but the biscuits came out great and I am now in charge of making biscuits. Even when really full, people continue eating them...
Here is the screwed up version of the recipe I use (double batch):
4
cups all-purpose flour
2
Tablespoons baking powder
4
Teaspoons of sugar
1
Teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2
Teaspoon salt
1
Stick of butter (soft, not melted)
1
Cup of butter flavored crisco
2
Cups of Milk
Mix all of the dry ingredients together.
Cut in butter and crisco with pastry cutter
Add milk and stir it all together
Drop fist sized dough on pans (we use both Pampered Chef and metal pans) Depending on how big your fist is, can make about 16 or so biscuits (obviously smaller will create more)
Oven = 450° F
Using a room temperature pan will take a bit longer to bake then a pan that you turn and burn.
I generally put them in for about 12 minutes and check them every couple of minutes after that until they are done. You are looking for the spikes on the biscuits to start turning golden.
I would share a picture, but they have never lasted long enough to take one. They also work well with butter and jam...lots of options!