Mary's Sweet Drop Biscuits

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease 2 cookie sheets. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. With pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk and vanilla extract; quickly mix until just combined. Drop dough by 1/4 cups, 2 inches apart, onto cookie sheets to make 16 biscuits. Place cookie sheets on 2 oven racks; bake biscuits 12 to 15 minutes until golden, rotating cookie sheets between upper and lower racks half-way through baking time. Serve warm. Or, if not serving right away, cool biscuits on wire rack. Store in tightly covered container to reheat before serving. Makes 16.