If you're worried about the amount of solid fats in your diet, but you love biscuits, don't worry. Deliciously light and fluffy biscuits can easily be made with oil instead of shortening. You can feel better about your diet and still enjoy a perfect biscuit.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Sift the flour and measure it very carefully into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and baking powder to the sifted flour and and sift it again.
Stir the milk and oil into the dry ingredients and mix until the liquids are completely incorporated into the dry ingredients. You should be able to work the dough with your hands, so add a bit more flour if it's too sticky or a bit more milk if it's too dry.
Place the biscuit dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it quickly about ten times. Roll or pat the dough until it's about 1/2 inch thick and cut it into circles with a floured biscuit cutter.
Put the biscuits on an ungreased baking pan. If you want crispy biscuits, place them about an inch apart. For softer biscuits, place them closer together.
Tips
Any standard biscuit recipe can be made with oil instead of shortening or other solid fats. Simply substitute oil for shortening measure for measure, and decrease the amount of milk slightly. If the dough is too thick, add additional milk a teaspoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.