Southern Biscuits, Scones, and Shortcake

A recipe-transcript of Alton Brown's "The Dough Also Rises" from his program Good Eats (Season 1, Episode 7); heavily edited; ingredients converted to metric weight.

SOUTHERN BISCUITS

283 g low-protein flour (adequate substitute = 3 parts AP flour + 1 part cake flour)
18 g baking powder (4 teaspoons)
1 g baking soda (1/4 teaspoon) (to balance the acid from buttermilk, which would otherwise offset the baking powder's leavening)
6 g salt (1 teaspoon)
227 g buttermilk
28 g butter, chilled
57 g shortening, chilled

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Mix dry ingredients.
Quickly work chilled fats into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Add buttermilk and stir briefly, creating a loose mass of sticky dough.
Dump onto a lightly floured Silpat or lightly floured parchment paper and gently work the dough until it comes together.
Pat dough into a disc about 2/3" thick. (Do not fold the dough over itself, as many recipes suggest.)
Form biscuits using a 2" biscuit cutter. Cut straight down. (Avoid twist-cutting).
Lightly reform the leftover dough to make more biscuits.
Place biscuits close to each other (1/4" spacing) on aluminum sheet pan (not stainless steel or Teflon). (Close spacing means they'll rise up instead of out and the edges won't bake up hard.)
Dimple center of each biscuit with your thumb. (This helps them rise evenly instead of domed.)
Bake for 15-20 or until golden brown.
Serve right out of the oven slathered with butter and jam or marmalade.

SCONES

283 g low-protein flour (adequate substitute = 3 parts AP flour + 1 part cake flour)
18 g baking powder (4 teaspoons)
24 g granulated sugar (2 tablespoons)
6 g salt (1 teaspoon)
Dried currants or cranberries (optional)
57 g butter, chilled
57 g shortening, chilled
170 g heavy cream
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Mix dry ingredients.
Quickly work chilled fats into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Add dried fruits to this mixture and toss to mix.
Whisk heavy cream and egg in a bowl.
Add heavy cream and egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir briefly, creating a loose mass of sticky dough.
Dump onto a lightly floured Silpat or lightly floured parchment paper and gently work the dough until it comes together.
Pat dough into a circle disc about 1/2" thick.
Cut into 8 triangles as you would a pizza, like so: 
Place scones close to each other (1/4" spacing) on aluminum sheet pan (not stainless steel or Teflon). (Close spacing means they'll rise up instead of out and the edges won't bake up hard.)
Bake for 15-20 or until golden brown.
Serve warm with clotted cream (Devonshire cream), jam and lemon curd.

SHORTCAKE

(VERSION WITH BUTTERMILK)

283 g low-protein flour (adequate substitute = 3 parts AP flour + 1 part cake flour)
18 g baking powder (4 teaspoons)
67 g sugar
1 g baking soda (1/4 teaspoon) (This balances the acid from the buttermilk, which would otherwise offset the baking powder's leavening.)
6 g salt (1 teaspoon)
28 g butter, chilled
57 g shortening, chilled
227 g buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Mix dry ingredients.
Quickly work chilled fats into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Add buttermilk and stir until dough just barely comes together.
Spoon dough right onto an aluminum sheet pan (not stainless steel or Teflon) in any shape or size you wish.
Generously brush with melted butter and sprinkle heavily with sugar.
Bake for 15-20 or until golden brown.
Cool.
Serve smothered with berries and whipped cream.

SHORTCAKE

(VERSION WITH HALF N' HALF)

283 g low-protein flour (adequate substitute = 3 parts AP flour + 1 part cake flour)
18 g baking powder (4 teaspoons)
67 g sugar
6 g salt (1 teaspoon)
28 g butter, chilled
57 g shortening, chilled
227 g half n' half

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Mix dry ingredients.
Quickly work chilled fats into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Add half n' half and stir until dough just barely comes together.
Spoon dough right onto an aluminum sheet pan (not stainless steel or Teflon) in any shape or size you wish.
Generously brush with melted butter and sprinkle heavily with sugar.
Bake for 15-20 or until golden brown.
Cool.
Serve smothered with berries and whipped cream.