Tarto'clock — The Complete Tartlet & Shortcrust Pastry Course
Is This Course for You?
Who Is This Course For?
You'll learn everything about shortcrust pastry — from choosing the right equipment and ingredients to elegant, minimal decoration techniques. The course is structured so that even if you've never made shortcrust before, you'll succeed. No baking background required.
You'll pick up professional tricks and techniques that streamline your workflow and give you consistently great results. You'll finally understand why your dough behaves the way it does — and exactly how to correct it when something goes wrong.
Discover new techniques and flavor combinations to add to your repertoire. Eight completely distinct tartlets gives you a ready-made seasonal rotation — each one elegant, easily executable at scale, and the kind of thing that turns first-time customers into regulars. These tartlets will become your signature.
Split your payment into installments at no extra cost — you pay exactly the price shown, nothing more. Zero interest, zero hidden fees.
Course Features
Eight completely distinct tartlets — a ready-to-go menu for your bakery display case or custom order business. No months of trial and error searching for the right textures and flavor combinations. Every recipe has been perfected by the Chef and approved by the most discerning clients.
We've put together a complete equipment guide so you don't waste money on tools you don't need or crowd your kitchen with gadgets you'll never use. You'll learn exactly which tartlet molds to choose, what materials work best, and how the mold itself affects the texture of your shell.
The course covers several distinct types of shortcrust dough — each with its own technique, texture, and application. You'll see exactly how the method changes the result and develop an intuition for which approach to reach for depending on the pastry you're making.
You'll learn to work like a pro — storing and prepping your tartlets so you can serve clients faster than you thought possible. Every recipe in this course scales effortlessly, and the decoration style is intentionally minimal and fast: stunning results without hours of fussy finishing work.
Course Program
A complete overview of decoration options for tartlets — their visual impact, ease of execution, shelf life, and the trade-offs of each approach. You'll finish this lesson with a clear toolkit for how to finish any tartlet beautifully.
A practical guide to every piece of equipment you need: which tartlet molds to buy, what surface to roll dough on, what to bake on, and which materials actually make a difference. You'll never waste money on the wrong tools again.
A deep dive into every ingredient in shortcrust dough — what it does, why it's there, and what happens if you swap or skip it. Understanding the 'why' is what separates a baker who can only follow recipes from one who can troubleshoot and create.
You'll learn the different types of shortcrust — sablé, pâte sucrée, crumble — their textures, best uses, and how the preparation method changes the outcome. A foundational lesson that gives you the vocabulary and understanding to navigate any pastry recipe with confidence.
Strawberry and basil is a classic pairing — but basil in pesto form? That's something entirely new. This tartlet layers crisp and tender textures with two vivid flavors that feel both familiar and surprising. A guaranteed conversation-starter on any dessert board.
An open-faced tartlet on a crunchy crumble base, filled with a dark and milk chocolate namelaka and a buckwheat praline that adds an unexpected, nutty dimension. Finished with elegant chocolate decoration that contrasts beautifully with the silky cream. The buckwheat makes this one unforgettable.
Peanut and black currant is a combination that sounds unexpected — and delivers completely. A peanut sablé shell, a moist peanut sponge, and a vivid black currant compote, topped with a whipped black currant ganache and roasted peanuts. Rich, tart, nutty, and impossible to put down.
Raspberry and pistachio is one of those pairings that almost everyone loves — and this tartlet makes the most of both. A sablé base layered with crispy feuilletine, silky pistachio cremeux, bright raspberry gel, and a light whipped raspberry ganache on top. Every element earns its place.
A vintage-shaped chocolate sablé shell, a fragrant hazelnut financier base, a ganache made from caramelized chocolate, a molten chocolate caramel center, and a cloud of delicate caramel cream infused with tonka bean. For anyone who considers chocolate and caramel their love language.
Hibiscus and red berries were made for each other — which is exactly why this tartlet works so well. The hibiscus and red currant bring vivid floral tartness, almond praline adds crunch and a nutty undertone, and a vanilla cream rounds everything out. Visually stunning and just as delicious as it looks.
Apricot takes center stage here — bold, sunny, and unmistakable — softened by a hazelnut cream and a cloud-light cheesecake layer. The real magic is the thyme in the apricot compote: just a whisper of it, but it adds a savory depth that rounds the whole flavor profile into something truly special.
Inspired by the cherry-poppy seed croissant from the Roll It course, this tartlet reimagines that flavor in a completely new format. A crisp shortcrust shell, a moist amaretto and poppy seed sponge, a whipped cherry cream with poppy seed, and a bright cherry gel — all finished with an agar jelly decoration that makes it look as good as it tastes.
How the Training Works
Our learning process is carefully designed to provide you with a supportive and enriching environment. We believe in the power of learning through practice, feedback, and guidance from our instructors and curators.
New lessons unlock every week, keeping you in a steady, motivated rhythm. You'll have 12 months of access from the day you purchase — rewatch any lesson as many times as you need, whenever you're back in the kitchen.
Theory means nothing without practice. Every lesson leads straight to the kitchen — you apply what you've learned immediately. Mentors review your work, explain any mistakes, and give you personalized recommendations so you improve with every single batch.
Each week you bake the lesson's tartlet and submit it for review — a photo and short description through a simple form. An experienced mentor responds with specific, actionable feedback. Not generic tips: real guidance on your real bake.
Complete all course assignments and earn an official Certificate of Completion — issued in English and internationally recognized. Share it on LinkedIn, your website, or your cottage bakery's social channels to show clients and customers what you've mastered.
Instructor
I'm a professionally trained pastry chef and graduate of the Olivier Bajard International Confectionery School in France — one of Europe's most respected institutions for advanced pastry arts. I've also trained under World Pastry Cup champions and Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, including Patrick Casula and Quentin Bailly.
I know the real challenges working pastry chefs and home bakers face, so I've combined world-class technique with practical, kitchen-tested insight to build courses that actually get results. Maru courses give you the knowledge and skills to create freely — and confidently.
Every Course Student Receives Valuable Extras
A crisp shell, caramelized peanuts, silky caramel cream, and a whipped ganache topped with popcorn. Sweet, salty, crunchy, and completely irresistible — the kind of dessert people talk about long after they've finished it.
If you love tiramisu — and who doesn't? — this tartlet is going to be your new obsession. Crisp shortcrust, coffee ganache, an espresso-soaked ladyfinger sponge, and a mascarpone cream finished with dark chocolate and cocoa. All the flavors of a great tiramisu in an elegant, individual format.
A classic blueberry and cream tartlet — the kind of thing that belongs at every summer brunch table. Simple, beautiful, and made to be baked when fresh blueberries are at their peak.
A practical troubleshooting guide you can reach for any time something goes wrong: slumped sides, cracked shells, dough that's too tough, too crumbly, or won't hold its shape. The shortcut to not repeating the same mistake twice.
What You Get as a Result
Almond Sponge from the Cherry & Poppy Seed Tartlet
What our students say
Maru Certificate of Completion
To earn your certificate, complete all course assignments and submit photos of your tartlets to your mentor. Certificates are issued in English and recognized internationally — share yours on LinkedIn or add it to your professional portfolio.
Choose a Pricing Plan
- 12 months of course access — rewatch anytime
- Recipe book
- Bonus: Common Shortcrust Mistakes & How to Fix Them guide
- 4 additional tartlet filling recipes
- Student community chat
- Certificate of Completion
- Mentor support
- 12 months of course access — rewatch anytime
- Recipe book
- Bonus: Common Shortcrust Mistakes & How to Fix Them guide
- 4 additional tartlet filling recipes
- Student community chat
- Certificate of Completion
- Mentor support
- 2 personal consultations of up to 1 hour
FAQ
Absolutely. The course is specifically designed to work for complete beginners. Every process is shown in detail, and the theory modules that precede each practical lesson make sure you understand exactly what you're doing and why — so when you're at the counter, you're confident, not guessing.
Right after you enroll, you'll receive a complete equipment and ingredient list. You'll have plenty of time to source everything before your first lesson begins. Most of what you need is likely already in your kitchen.
Reach out to us anytime at hello@maru.expert — we're happy to help. For baking questions during the course, your assigned mentor is available in the student chat.
Just reach out to your mentor — they'll help you find a suitable substitute for any ingredient that's hard to source in your region. This is especially helpful for students in the US, where some European pastry ingredients have different names or need to be ordered online.
Shortcrust dough prefers a cool kitchen — ideally 68–72°F (20–22°C). As long as your kitchen doesn't get above 77°F (25°C), you'll be fine. Working in a warmer kitchen is possible but requires a bit more experience — something the course covers in detail.
Yes — all tartlets in this course can be prepped in advance and frozen. The course covers exactly which components freeze well, at what stage to freeze them, and how to finish them for service. A must-know for anyone selling to order or prepping for events.
Absolutely — every recipe in this course is designed to be sellable, scalable, and display-case-ready. We genuinely love seeing Maru recipes on bakery shelves and farmer's market tables. That's exactly what this course is for.
Yes — we offer a school-backed buy now, pay later option at no extra cost. Split your payment into two equal parts: the first at checkout, the second within one month. Lessons beyond the initial batch unlock once your second payment is received. No interest, no hidden fees.