Biscuits:
5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for sprinkling
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces
2 cups buttermilk
Sandwiches:
1 jar Katchkie Farm Tomato Jam
¾ cup grated cheddar
¼ pound thinly sliced cooked country ham, such as Smithfield
Preheat oven to 375° F.
To make biscuits: Using a sieve over a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Repeat. Add the butter and shortening and, using your fingertips, mix until crumbly. Add the buttermilk and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. (Be careful not to over mix!)
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll out to ½- to ¾-inch thick rectangle. Using a 3- to 4-inch round cutter, punch out biscuits and transfer them to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Gently press the dough scraps into another rectangle and punch out more biscuits. Discard any scraps. Lightly dust the tops of the biscuits with flour and bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Let the biscuits cool slightly.
To make sandwiches: Preheat the broiler. Split six of the biscuits in half and spread the top halves with 1 tablespoon of Katchkie Farm Tomato Jam each. Divide the ham among the bottom halves of the biscuits and sprinkle the cheddar over the top. Arrange the bottom halves on a baking sheet and place under a broiler until the cheddar melts. Cover with the biscuit tops and serve immediately.