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1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mats; set aside.
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2. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
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3. Add very cold butter to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Cut in with a pastry blender or grate through a box grater, and mix until butter is the size of small peas.
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4. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups of milk, lightly stirring to combine. Dough should just come together and pull away from the side of the bowl without being too wet or overly sticky. (I typically only need about 1 3/4 cups of milk, depending on the density of the flour and humidity. I start with 1 1/2 cup, then if the dough is still too dry, slowly add up to 1/4 - 1/2 cup more milk, until dough comes together.)
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5. TO MAKE DROP BISCUITS: Scoop biscuit dough with a large spoon, and plop dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet.
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6. TO MAKE ROLLED BISCUITS: Turn dough out onto a clean and lightly floured work surface or pastry mat. Lightly flour the top of the dough. Then flatten the dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Gently knead the dough by folding it onto itself and lightly flattening into another rectangle. Repeat this process 5 times. It is important to have a light touch and not to overwork the dough or biscuits will be tough. Slow and gentle is the key. Pat or roll the kneaded dough into a large rectangle, 1/2 inch tall. Using a 3-inch diameter biscuit cutter, push straight down to cut biscuits. Do not turn the biscuit cutter or biscuits will not rise as well. Also, cut the biscuits as close together as possible. Piece together remaining dough and repeat the process until all of the dough is used.
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7. Place biscuits onto prepared baking sheets. Brush the tops of the biscuits with a little bit of milk.
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8. Bake biscuits for 12-14 minutes, or until tops begin to turn golden brown around the edges, and they are puffed up.
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9. Serve warm, or cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container on the counter for several days.
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VARIATIONS:
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Cinnamon-Raisin biscuits: Whisk 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon into the dry ingredients. Knead 1/2 cup raisins into the dough during kneading process. Continue and bake as directed above. Meanwhile, mix 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons milk to make a glaze. Drizzle glaze over cooled biscuits.
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Garlic-Cheddar biscuits: Whisk 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder and 1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese into the dry ingredients. Continue as directed above.
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Savory Sage biscuits: Whisk in 1/2 teaspoons dried sage into the dry ingredients. Continue as directed above, sprinkling a pinch of kosher salt on top of the biscuits after brushing with milk.
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Lightly Lemon biscuits: Whisk 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest into dry ingredients. Continue and bake as directed above. Meanwhile, mix 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to make a glaze. Drizzle glaze over cooled biscuits. (These are great with raspberry jam!)
