Real Shortcake for Strawberry Shortcake

Recipe of: Janet

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Use large ungreased baking sheet
Whisk together in a large bowl:
1 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 T sugar
Drop in:
6 T cold butter, cut into pieces

Cut in the butter with pastry blender or two knives until the largest pieces are the size of peas and the rest resemble breadcrumbs. Do not allow the butter to melt or form a paste with the flour.

Add all at once:
3/4 cup half and half or cream

Mix with fork just until most of the dry ingredients are moistened. With a lightly floured hand, gather the dough into a ball and knead it gently against the sides and bottom of the bowl 5 to 10 times, turning and pressing any loose pieces into the dough each time until they adhere and the bowl is fairly clean. Roll out the dough a scat ¾ inch thick and cut into 3 inch rounds. After baking, cool and split with a fork before filling.