Compare shortcrust pastry and pâte sucrée in terms of fat and sugar content and texture.

• A. Shortcrust has less sugar and fat proportion than pâte sucrée; shortcrust yields a tender, crumbly crust; pâte sucrée is richer and crumblier with more structure.
• B. Shortcrust has more sugar than pâte sucrée.
• C. Pâte sucrée uses no fat.
• D. Shortcrust is sweeter and more crumbly than pâte sucrée.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how fat and sugar affect dough texture. Fat coats the flour and shortens gluten, making a tender crust, while sugar adds sweetness and helps create a crisper, more crumbly bite and adds structure when fat is present.

Shortcrust uses less fat and less sugar, so the crust is tender and crumbly without much sweetness. Pâte sucrée, on the other hand, contains more sugar (and typically more fat and egg), which makes it richer and crisper with more built-in structure to hold fillings. That combination gives a crust that tastes sweeter and feels firmer yet still crumbly.

So the correct choice reflects that shortcrust has less sugar and fat and yields a tender, crumbly crust, while pâte sucrée is richer and crumblier with more structure.