• 2 cups flour (White Lily is best, A.P. will do)
• 8 ounces unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
• 6 to 8 ounces buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ounce melted butter, for brushing

Preheat your oven to 450°F.

Sift flour and add to work bowl of food processor with salt, cayenne, and baking powder. Pulse several times and add the butter. Continue pulsing until butter is roughly the size of green peas. Transfer flour-butter mixture to a large bowl.

Add about 5-6 oz. of buttermilk and fold in with a rubber spatula to create a cohesive dough. If still crumbly and not a cohesive mixture, add more buttermilk. Do not over-mix.

Turn mix onto a lightly floured counter. Gently pat down with lightly floured hands and create a uniform thickness of about one inch.

With a biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut out circles of dough. Lightly butter or grease a cookie sheet or cake pan. Do not twist the cutter while cutting out your discs of dough, or you won't get a proper rise.

Place the biscuits on the cookie sheet. With the biscuits touching one another, you get a very tender biscuit. Spread apart from one another, a more crisp texture. Brush with additional melted butter.

Place biscuits in oven. Immediately raise oven temperature to 500F. Bake for 15 minutes or until risen and the tops are golden brown.

Serve with plenty of butter and preserves or jelly, or split them and top with a creamy sausage gravy. They are also wonderful with some salty country ham tucked inside.