Preheat oven to 450 ° with rack in center of oven.
To make the flakiest Biscuits, dice shortening or butter into very small pieces and freeze before adding to flour. This way you don’t have to mix much, so the butter won’t melt out.
By hand or in mixer bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add frozen chopped shortening or butter and mix until it looks like coarse cornmeal or crumbs. Do NOT over mix -- dough may look a bit crumbly, but that’s what helps make those nice flakes. Pour liquid over mixture and stir in with a spatula or paddle, just until it comes together.
Pour onto sprayed parchment paper to help push it together. If cutting with dental floss or knife, form to about a 4x6 rectangle. If using cutters, you’ll have to press scraps back together to make 4 biscuits. It is very easy to pat into place, and gently squeeze together with parchment. Keep them 1½ to 2 inches thick or tall. Cut with dental floss, knife, or biscuit cutters, into desired size and shape. Keep the dough as tall as possible, as they do not rise a lot.
Brush with cream or butter, or leave plain; bake on parchment covered sheet pan, about 18 to 22 minutes, until golden all over with edges starting to brown, and baked through (test with a toothpick).
FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS: Keep frozen until right before ready to eat; then brush and bake. They hold their shape very nicely if cooked very cold. (You can make a batch, cook what you need and freeze the rest for another time.)
Biscuits are ready to bake in 15 minutes after removing from freezer (about the time it takes for your oven to pre-heat). Do NOT brush with cream or egg wash until right before going in the oven. They can also be left plain. Baking time when frozen is 3 to 5 minutes longer than noted above.
CHEFS NOTE: Use the optional egg white for a more cake-like, puffy and light, less crumbly biscuit.
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