I'm not busting anyone out here ... but why use words/names like "pate brisee" and/or "pate sucree"?!? What regular home people are familiar with that type of vocabulary? "French pie crust" - "French tart crust" gets the point across a little easier I'm thinking.
Shortcrust pastry is a type of pastry often used for the base of a tart, quiche or pie. It does not puff up during baking because it usually contains no leavening agent. It is possible to make shortcrust pastry with self-rising flour, however. Shortcrust pastry can be used to make both sweet and savory pies such as apple pie, quiche, lemon meringue or chicken pie. Many shortcrust pastries are prepared using vegetable shortening, a fat food product that is solid at room temperature, the composition of which tends to create crumbly, shortcrust-style pastries and pastry crusts.
Now if you've just gotta know this stuff ... here:
Pâte à foncer is French shortcrust pastry that includes egg. Egg and butter are worked together with a small quantity of sugar and salt before the flour is drawn into the mixture and cold water added to bind it.
Pâte brisée is similar to pâte à foncer, but is lighter and more delicate due to an increased quantity of butter - up to three fifths the quantity of flour.
Pâte sucrée (sweetcrust pastry, sweet dough, or sweet paste) is made with the addition of sugar, which sweetens the mix and impedes the gluten strands, creating a pastry that breaks up easily in the mouth.
Pâte Brisée
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.
Pâte Sucrée
Adding egg yolks, cream, and sugar transforms a standard crust into something almost cookie-like. Freeze the second crust for later use.
Ingredients:
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Preparation
Whisk egg yolks and cream in a small bowl; set aside. Pulse flour, butter, sugar, and salt in a food processor until a coarse meal forms. With machine running, gradually add cream mixture; blend just to combine (do not overwork dough or crust will be tough).
Transfer dough to a large work surface. Knead just to incorporate, 4-5 turns. Divide dough in half; shape each half into a 1-inch-thick disk and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD Crust can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling out. Crust can also be frozen for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before rolling out.