Instructions

1. Position your oven rack in the center of the oven for even baking. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Spray a cookie sheet or cake pan with a light coating of spray release. Alternatively, spread a skim-coat of butter across the bottom of the pan to grease it. Using the spray reduces the fat content, but the taste of butter adds to the biscuits.

3. Measure 4 cups of baking mix into a large bowl. Drop a stick of butter into the bowl or substitute 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening. The butter will provide the most accurate taste, but shortening works in a pinch. In either case, use firm butter or shortening instead of melted.

4. Sprinkle 1 tsp. of salt over the baking mixture. Add 1 to 3 tablespoons of sugar. Sugar is optional -- some people like a slightly sweet biscuit and others prefer it without. A sweet biscuit works perfectly for recipes like strawberry shortcake.

5. Cut the butter into the baking mix, using a fork, spoon or pastry cutter. Continue spreading the butter through the flour mixture until small lumps, perhaps the size of peas, forms. This ensures the shortening and other ingredients are equally spread throughout the biscuit dough.

6. Form a well, like the center of a volcano, in the middle of your flour and butter mixture. Crack an egg into a small bowl and beat it slightly with a fork. Pour the beaten egg into the middle of the well.

7. Add 1/4 cup club soda -- also known as seltzer water or carbonated water -- to the biscuit mixture. The carbonation content creates gas bubbles in batters and dough, which helps create a light, fluffy product. This is the secret ingredient in many recipes, including KFC style biscuits.

8. Pour 3/4 cup buttermilk in to the bowl containing the baking mix and other ingredients. If you don't have buttermilk, try combining milk and about a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar in a small bowl. Stir the milk, which will appear curdled, then combine with the other ingredients. While this tastes slightly different than buttermilk, it is a common substitute.

9. Reach into the bowl and begin combining the ingredients, using your hands, like it is modeling clay. Add up to 1 additional cup of baking mix as needed to create a smooth, fairly dry dough. Encourage the biscuit dough to form a ball. Avoid overworking the dough; a few strokes should prove sufficient, but kneading the dough repetitively will create a tough ball of dough and ultimately, tough biscuits.

10. Scrape any excess dough off your hands but do not wash them. Cleaning your hands will encourage the biscuit dough to stick to you while you work. Dip your hands into a little extra flour or baking mix to help resist stickiness.

11. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking mix or flour over your clean counter top of a piece of wax paper to prepare an area to work your biscuit dough and cut it. Use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup -- the aim is to prevent a sticky counter, not to add additional baking mix.

12. Turn the dough ball out onto your work area. Pat or lightly roll the biscuit dough until it is about 3/4-inch-thick. Sprinkle with flour or baking mix, scooped off the counter, as you work to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands or rolling pin.

13. Dip the rim of a glass, cup or round cookie cutter into flour to eliminate any cling to the surface. Repeat periodically while you work; a key to preventing dough from sticking is generous flouring of all surfaces with which it comes in contact.

14. Cut your biscuits out of the dough by placing the glass -- or other cutter -- mouth down on the dough. Use a firm, steady downward pressure to penetrate the dough and detach the biscuit from the remainder. Avoid twisting the cutter as you work to prevent uneven looking biscuit edges and problems with the biscuits rising.

15. Transfer each biscuit to your greased cookie sheet or baking pan. Place slightly apart, or allow them to touch to create a slightly softer, moister biscuit. Bake about 12 minutes or until a golden brown color, adjusting baking time as necessary.