Anne-Marie's Favorite Biscuits and Gravy

1-2 packages of Farmer John Breakfast sausage (bulk package not individual links)
Flour
Salt
Pepper
baking powder
milk

Preheat oven to 450
To make the biscuits: (appx 12)

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1 cup milk, chilled

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled milk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky. Spoon biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. they should be about 2-2 1/2 inches wide they will not look perfect that is perfectly fine. Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Now for the Gravy
Brown your sausage crumbling it in to small pieces you can leave some larger pieces as well it does not need to be the same size exactly. Once you sausage has browned remove it from your pan with a slotted spoon leave all of the fat in the pan. We will use the sausage drippings to make our roux ( thickener) add about 3 tablespoons of flour to the pan with the sausage drippings and saute on medium low for 5 minutes do not brown the flour we are just cooking out the raw flavor the flour has. Once it has cooked begin by whisking in  2 cups of milk continue to whisk occasionally until it comes to a boil.Check the thickness of the gravy by using a spoon dip it in the gravy and see how it coats the back of the spoon you should be able to run your finger down the spoon and  add more milk if the gravy is too thick if it is not thick enough let it simmer and it will thicken up. Add your salt and pepper to taste and simmer.

While your gravy is simmering put your biscuits in the oven and serve them as son as they are done