Here is Alton Brown's recipe and have seen him
do this on TV and they looked wonderful. Lemon
juice with milk is the same as buttermilk from
what I see - according to Mama's ricotta recipe?

Alton Brown's Southern Biscuits

Ingredients
1 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
9 1/4 ounces all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 ounce unsalted butter, chilled
2 tablespoons shortening
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the milk and lemon juice in a glass measuring cup and place in the refrigerator.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips and working quickly, rub the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled milk mixture. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold the dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform the scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting.

Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Does it really work? What's the difference if you put it first in a plastic bag rather than add the milk together with the 5 ingredients simultaneously?

So basically what you are doing is making a dry mix such as Bisquick or
Krustez. You could add dry milk and then just add an egg and water.

I was thinking that, maybe there is some preserving that should take place.

I get daily emails and tweets from King Arthur
with tonnes of recipes. This one came today.
Of course they want you to mail order stuff from
them. I get their flour at our local stores but not
their baking powder.



New Year's Ham Biscuits

Ham biscuits are a staple of Southern celebrations. Traditionally, biscuits (either tall, light, and tender; or thin, crisp, and flaky) are cut in half and layered with flavorful country ham. These days, some cooks have adopted an easy shortcut: adding chopped ham (and cheese, if you please) right to the soft biscuit dough, then simply dropping the dough onto a baking sheet, rather than rolling and cutting it. The result: a tasty, all-in-one breakfast or brunch treat.

Ham biscuits are suitable for any occasion, from elegant to down-home. For that reason they're often found on the sideboard or table on New Year's Eve, or New Year's Day. Our northern version of this Southern treat uses King Arthur Flour, Vermont cheese, and Original Bakewell Cream, the leavener Mainers love most for their biscuits.

4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Perfect Pastry Blend
4 teaspoons Bakewell Cream
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon mustard powder, optional
¼ teaspoon onion powder, optional
½ cup (8 tablespoons) cold butter
1 cup finely diced ham
1 cup grated or shredded cheddar cheese, with additional for topping, if desired
1 cup to 1 cup + 2 tablespoons cups cold milk**
*NOT Bakewell Cream Baking Powder; just plain Bakewell Cream.
**Use the greater amount of milk if you use all-purpose flour; the lesser amount if you use Perfect Pastry Blend.

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment (for easy cleanup); if you don't use parchment, there's no need to grease the pan.
2) Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
3) Work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly; some larger, pea-sized pieces of butter may remain intact.
4) Add the ham and cheese, stirring until well distributed.
5) Add the milk, mixing until everything is moistened.
6) Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface (a silicone mat works well), and fold it over once or twice. Divide the dough in half, and pat each half into a ¾"-thick circle, about 6" across.
7) Cut the biscuits with a 2" round cutter, or the cutter of your choice. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Brush the biscuit tops with milk or melted butter. Sprinkle with grated or shredded cheese, if desired.
9) Bake the biscuits for 6 minutes, then turn off the oven. Leave in the oven for an additional 7 to 10 minutes, until they're golden brown.
10) Remove from the oven, and serve warm; as is, or with butter.
Yield: about 2 dozen big 2" biscuits.

Recipe summary

Hands-on time:
10 mins. to 20 mins.
Baking time:
13 mins. to 16 mins.
Total time:
53 mins. to 1 hrs 6 mins.
Yield:
2 dozen 2" biscuits

Tips from our bakers
To make easy drop biscuits, drizzle in enough additional milk, as you're mixing the biscuit dough, to make the dough sticky: about 4 to 5 tablespoons milk should do it. Drop the dough by 1/4-cupfuls onto the prepared baking sheet; a level muffin scoop works well here. Bake as directed.

You'll find that you may need to use more milk in the winter, when the air is dry; and less in summer, when it's humid.