Food Friday: Mama's Biscuits

I write this with some pride: I make an amazing hot biscuit. And today, I'm going to teach you how to do the same. I think that these biscuits on the supper table make life a little nicer. And once you make them, I'm guessing that you will feel the same way.

The Recipe
2 cups flour
1 T baking powder
3 tsp sugar
½ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
½ cup shortening
2/3 cup milk

Heat oven to 450 degrees.
In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Your next task is to cut in the shortening, a task that requires a pastry cutter.
Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles course crumbs. It's hard to see in this photo, but basically, that will look like a flour mixture with lumps.
Make a well in the center, add milk all at once and stir just until the dough clings together.

Take the dough out of the bowl and prepare to knead it on a lightly floured surface. It will look messy at this point.
But it will quickly come together into a smooth dough when you knead gently for 10 to 12 strokes. Roll or pat dough to ½ inch thickness.
Cut with 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter dipped into flour between cuts.
Transfer biscuits to a baking sheet. Lay them down so that the sides of the biscuits barely touch. Indent the center of each biscuit gently with your thumb. Don't skip this step, as it will help your biscuits to rise and remain light as a feather.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden. Makes 10-12 biscuits.
Set the biscuits on the table and wait for the applause from your little boy.
Happy Eating!

Update for Jason: Those Bisquick biscuits may look the same (and I doubt that), but they will taste like hockey pucks :0.