Flakey Cinnamon Layered Biscuits (adapted from Salad In a Jar)
2 cups flour
4 Tb sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
6 Tb cold butter
2 Tb shortening (you can use more butter if you don't have shortening)
¾ cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp sugar plus 2 tsp cinnamon for layers
coarse sugar and 1 Tb melted butter for the tops
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it.
Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter and shortening until pieces are no bigger than small peas. Add buttermilk and vanilla and stir until the dough mostly comes together. (You can also do all of these steps in a food processor)
Turn the dough and dry unincorporated bits out onto a well-floured surface. Knead about about 3-4 times until all the dough comes together. Shape dough into a square.
Roll the square of dough out about ½ inch thick. Brush/sprinkle the surface of the dough with a little bit of water, just to dampen it. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over ⅔ of the dough. Fold the un-coated third of the dough over on top of the cinnamon layer, then fold the opposite third over the top (like folding a letter)
Fold the rectangle up into thirds again. Roll out again to about the size your dough was after your first time folding (like a letter), and fold into thirds again. You can repeat this one more time if you'd like.
Roll dough back out to a ½ inch thick square and cut into 12 squares with a sharp knife. Place the biscuits on prepared baking sheet, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 400 degrees and continue baking for another 12 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack and serve!