Sweet Pastry Dough

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
8 Tbls. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
2 lg. eggs

To mix the dough by hand:
Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and add to dry ingredients. Toss once or twice to coat pieces of butter.

Using your hands or a pastry blender, rub butter into dry ingredients by breaking it into tiny pieces, continuously pinching and squeezing it into the dry ingredients. Be careful to keep the mixture uniform by occasionally reaching down to the bottom of the bowl and mixing all the ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse-ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible. Beat eggs in a small bowl and pour over the flour and butter mixture. Stir with a fork, continuing to stir until the dough begins to hold together, but still appears somewhat dry. Scatter flour on the work surface and scrape the dough into it. Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth.

To mix the dough in a food processor:
Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in work bowl fitted with metal blade. Pulse 3 times at 1-second intervals to mix. Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and add to work bowl. Process, pulsing repeatedly at 1-second intervals, until the mixture is fine and powdery, resembles a coarse-ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible, about 15 pulses in all. Add eggs to the work bowl and pulse ten times or so, until the dough forms a ball. Scatter flour on the work surface and knead the dough into it. Press and knead the dough quickly 3 or 4 times, until it is smooth.

To Continue:
Press the dough into two equal disks. Sandwich disks of dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and press it into a 6-inch disk. Refrigerate dough until firm, or until you are ready to use it, at least one hour.

To Finish:
Press the chilled dough evenly into whatever pan the recipe calls for, starting with the sides first. If the recipe calls for blind or prebaking the crust, prick some holes in the bottom of the chilled crust with a fork. Cover with foil, pressing lightly into the bottom and sides. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake blind for 20 minutes or until very light brown, removing the foil for the last 5 to 10 minutes. (If using dried beans, cool and store for future pie crusts. Do not try to cook used beans.)

Makes two 9-inch crusts