Spiced Pecan Drop Biscuits

Ingredients

2 3/4 c unsifted all-purpose flour
1/4 c unsifted cake flour
1 baking pw
1 t baking soda
1/2 ts cream of tartar
1 1/2 ts salt
1 tb cinnamon
1 1/2 ts nutmeg
3/4 ts ginger
1/4 ts allspice
3/4 c shortening
1 1/2 c buttermilk
5/8 c pecans
5/8 c dark raisins

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 F . Butter and flour a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Thoroughly mix flours, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and sugar in a lge. mixing bowl. Add shortening and using two round-bladed kniver, cut into small lumps. With fingertips, reduce lumps to small bits, rubbing into flour mixture. Blend in buttermilk, pecans and raisins with a few quick strokes. DO NOT OVERMIX--BISCUITS WILL BE TOUGH. Drop heaping tablespoon mounds of dough onto baking pan, spacing abt. 2" apart. Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes, or until firm and golden. Transfer the pan of biscuits to a rack to cool for min. Serve immediately, or cool completely and store in an airtight container in refrigerator.