Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease two 8 inch cake pans. Put the flour, salt, baking powder, cream of tartar, and sugar in a bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the milk all at once and stir just until the dough forms a ball around the fork. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead 14 times. Pat until 1/2 inch thick. Cut into rounds with a 2 inch cookie cutter. Place touching each other in the cake pans and bake for 15-20 minutes.

NOW: My two "secrets", one of which my brother taught me in making these. I DOUBLE the recipe, and pat my biscuits out to 1 inch. I get around 16-18 biscuits. I put them on a rectangular cookie sheet to bake. Secondly, I add just a bit more shortening than the original recipe calls for. Makes them flakier.

Jan