Heat oven to 450F. Cut shortening into flour, sugar, baking powder and salt with pastry blender until mixture resemble fine crumbs. Stir in milk until dough leaves side of bowl (dough will be soft and sticky).

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead lightly ) times. Roll or pat 1/2 inch thick. Cut with floured 2 1/2-inch round cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart for crusty sides, touching' for soft sides. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. 1 dozen biscuits;155 calories per biscuit.

Blue Cheese Biscuits: Add 3 tb crumbled blue cheese and 1/2 ts Italian seasoning with the flour.

Buttermilk Biscuits: Decrease baking powder to 2 teaspoons and add 1/4 ts baking soda with the salt. Substitute buttermilk for the milk. (If buttermilk is thick, it may be necessary to add slightly more than 3/c cup.)

Cornmeal Biscuits: Substitute 1/2 cup cornmeal for 1/2 cup of the flour. Sprinkle cornmeal over biscuits before baking.

Drop Biscuits: Increase milk to 1 cup. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.

Herb Biscuits: Add 3/g ts dried dill weed or rosemary leaves, crushed, with the salt.

*If using self rising flour, omit baking powder and salt.