FOR THE BISCUITS:
5 cups flour (unbleached)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder 3 tablespoons sugar (or less)
1/2 cup lard
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup ice water
Put all dry ingredients in sifter and sift once.
Cut lard in until coarse (about pea sized).
Mix milk and ice water and pour into dry ingredients.
Mix dough a bit with fork and then knead with hands until it just begins to holt together — it will be crumbly. Take in 1/3s and roll through roller — folding over each time. Do this with each piece about 5 times.
Let each 1/3 rest around 5 minutes and then repeat but only rolling through a couple of times.
The number of times each piece is rolled through varies — dough will get smoother and you know you are almost there when the dough starts to get glossy and pops!
Roll to desired thickness and cut out with biscuit cutter.
Fork each biscuit 3 times all the way through.
Cook at 300-325 degrees for 35 minutes — they will not be brown on top but should be slightly brown on bottom.
FOR THE MAPLE BUTTER:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup Pappy & Company Barrel Aged Pure Maple Syrup
TO SERVE:
Either warm or toast open faced — use a fork to split the biscuit. Then spread with maple butter and top with thinly shaved country ham to make little ham biscuits.
