cheddar cheese biscuits

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 t salt
1 ½ T baking powder
1 t cayenne pepper
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup chopped pecans

1.      preheat over to 350 f

2.      in a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and cayenne pepper.  stir in the buttermilk.  using a dough cutter, or by hand, cut in the shortening and add the cheese and pecans.

3.      turn out the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead the dough for several minutes until the dough is no longer sticky to the touch.  return the mixture to a clean bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.

4.      once again, turn out the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1 inch.  using a 1.5 inch round cookie cutter (or a crescent-shaped one), cut out the dough and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

5.      transfer to the oven and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the biscuits to a rack to cool.