cut butter with pastry blender into 1/4 inch slices

sprinkle butter slices over flour in a large bowl. Toss butter with flour. Cut butter into flour with a pastry blender until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas. Cover and chill for 10 minutes. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistendd.

turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead 3 or 4 times, gradually adding additional flour as needed. With floured hands, press or parlt dougg into a 3/4 inch thick rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches). Sprinkle top of dough with additional flour. Fold dough over onto itself in 3 sections, starting with 1 short end. Fold dough rectangle as if folding a letter. Repeat entire process 2 more times, beginning with pressing into a 3/4 inch thick dough rectangle about 9 x 5 inches.

press or pat dough to 1/2 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface ; cut with a 2 inch round cutter; place side by side on a lightly greased jelly roll pan: touching

bake at 450°F gir 13 - 15 minutes or lightly browned. Remove from oven; brush with melted butter

BLACK PEPPER-BACON BISCUITS: combine 1/3 cup cooked and crumbled bacon (about 5 slices) and 1 teaspoon black pepper with flour

CINAMMON-RAISIN BISCUITS: omit 2 Tblsp melted butter. Combine 1/2 cup golden raisins, 1/2 tsp ground cinammon and 1/3 cup chopped pecans with flour. Stir together 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp buttermilk until smooth. Drizzle over warm biscuits.

FETA-OREGANO BISCUITS: combine 4 oz pkg crumbled feta and 1/2 tsp dried oregano with flour.

PIMIENTO CHEESE BISCUITS: combine 4 oz shredded sharp cheddar with flour. Reduce buttermilk to 1 cup. Stir together buttermilk and 4 oz