Teri Bell, co-owner of Miss Sophie's Marketplace, gives tips on making biscuits in her latest column. Read the whole column.

Here's an excerpt from today's column:

Biscuits are a regional delight and the way they're made varies with
each region. Here in the South, the word denotes a simple, soft, flaky
quick bread made from flour, shortening and milk or buttermilk.

Biscuits are as much a staple of the Southern meal as rice.
Unfortunately, the thought of making biscuits strikes a chord of fear
in novice and experienced cooks alike.

Who among us hasn't heard
a horror story about attempts at making biscuits? If you are one of the
terrified cooks out there hiding behind frozen biscuits, then it's time
to face your fear and give biscuit-making a try.

You won't believe how easy it actually is. Here are a few tips to make your biscuit making experience less frustrating:

BASIC BISCUITS
1/3 cup shortening (the hard white kind)
1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk or buttermilk

Preheat
oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and
salt. Cut shortening into flour with a pastry cutter or a fork until
mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in enough milk so dough just leaves
the sides of the bowl and rounds up into a ball. Turn out onto a
lightly floured surface. Flour your hands good and knead (press down
lightly and pull back into a ball just to make sure everything is mixed
together) only once or twice. Roll dough one-half inch thick. Cut with
floured biscuit cutter. Place on ungreased sheet pan with sides
touching. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.