Bakes

Step 1

Sift the flour, baking power and salt together into a deep bowl and add the lard.
Working quickly, use your fingertips to rub the flour and lard together until it looks like grains of coarse meal.
Pour in the sugar and water mixture all at once, toss together and gather the dough into a ball. If the dough crumbles add a little more cold water, a teaspoon or so at a time, until the particles adhere.
For each biscuit, pinch off about 2 tablespoons of dough and pat into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a round about 3 inches in diameter and ¼ inch thick.
Pour oil into a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet to a depth of about ¼ inch, and heat until it is hot but not smoking.
Fry the bakes, four or five at a time for about 3 minutes on each side, turning them with a slotted spoon, and regulating the heat so that they colour richly and evenly without burning.
As they brown, transfer them to brown paper to drain. Serve the bakes warm, or at room temperature, with butter or cheese.
Makes about 9, 3-inch bakes.