Buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy

INGREDIENTS

+Dry ingredients:

°2 cups all-purpose flour

°1 tablespoon baking powder

°½ teaspoon of soda

°¾ teaspoon of salt

+Wet Ingredients:

 °½ c vegetable shortening or butter

°¾-1 c cold buttermilk

°melted butter or heavy cream for brushing the top

+For the sauce:

°1 lb hot country sausage

°½ cup  flour

°1 teaspoon plain or seasoned salt [more or less to taste]

°1 teaspoon ground black pepper [more or less to taste]

4 ½ to 5 cups of milk

Instructions

To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sifting dry ingredients in a mix bowl.

Cube the shortening or butter, then cut into the dry ingredients. You can do this by hand with a pastry blender or with your food processor, Pulse until it becomes crumbly and looks like peas.Stir in the cold buttermilk, until the dough is well moistened. Sometimes I use ¾ cup and sometimes up to 1 cup buttermilk. The dough should not be too wet, but slightly stickyRoll out on a lightly floured surface about ¾ inch thick and cut into rounds. Brush off excess flour.

Brush tops with melted butter or heavy cream and bake at 450°F for 13-15 minutes, until lightly browned and puffed. Yield: 8 [3] inch cookies or 10 [2] inch cookies

To make the sauce: Place the sausage in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or cast iron skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Break up the sausage with a spoon while cooking.

Cook until browned.

Drain all but 3 tablespoons of pan juices from pan. Sprinkle all-purpose flour over the sausage. Stir until sausage is coated, continuing to cook until lightly browned. Season with salt and black pepper.

Over medium-high heat, begin to add the milk, stirring constantly. Add 4 cups, adding more as needed to thin to desired textureOnce all the milk has been added, bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately over warm crackers sprinkled with black pepper.