Easy Shortcakes - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
6 tablespoons milk (lowfat or nonfat is fine)
1 dash vanilla (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the dry ingredients and mix well. Make a well in the center, and then add each wet ingredient. Mix all together gently. Dough should be light and airy.
There will be enough dough for five or six shortcakes. Use a spoon to drop dollops of the dough onto a small nonstick or lightly oiled cookie sheet. Press the center of each shortcake to flatten it a bit and create an indentation for filling. I like to leave them irregularly shaped instead of perfectly round.
Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until the tops are just starting to turn golden.
After they've cooled for a bit, slice them in half horizontally. Use a combination of any of your favorite fillings: lightly mashed fresh fruit, vanilla pudding, mascarpone cheese, chocolate sauce. My son likes to put a fruit layer and a whipped cream or pudding layer in the center, then add the top half, and then top with a fruit layer and lots of whipped cream.
*****You can also make a savory version of these shortcakes by omitting the sugar and vanilla, and adding parmesan cheese and a dash of garlic or onion powder. Top with olives, refried beans, sour cram, and salsa or greek salad.*****.