help with biscuits

[smooth move]

i love home made biscuits with butter and cane syrup. been killin myself to make good biscuits, but i just can't do it. they taste good(i eat em all), but they're just not flakey. more like a dumpin inside. i've tried everything anyone ever suggested, but nada, no bueno. best i've done is to not knead em at all, just flatten the dough to about 1 1/2" and cut em out. i've used butter, lard, margerine and crisco. here's the basic recipe. i've played with it, but nothing seems to help.