Learn how to make a miniature tarte

Hello Littlest Sweet Shoppers!

As promised, we now have a new menu called 'Recipes' that will reveal how we make some of our miniature food. Our first new recipe will teach you how to make a cute Valentine's Day tarte. This new tutorial series is in co-operation with a Parisian craft store La petite épicerie. They have everything you need to make kawaii food miniatures and other awesome crafts. They also ship worldwide so you don't have to live in Paris to purchase their wonderful stock.

Learn how to make Valentine's Day tarte now in the new Recipes menu

The new Recipes menu also has a comment section so do ask any questions that you may have regarding the tutorial and we will answer within a day!

Make sure you have all of the ingredients that is needed before you start. We only use quality materials from Japan, Europe and America.

Making miniature food, especially when you don't have much experience can be tricky. I would recommend that you practise a few times if you are not happy with your work. All I can say is that I am also a self-taught miniaturist and it took hundreds of hours of practise just to get where I am. Don't feel discouraged if something doesn't turn out the way you want it. Planning ahead helps so make sure you have everything laid out so you will have less stress and more time to concentrate.

In the Valentine's Day tarte tutorial, I'm using a silicone based whipped cream. This is actually not an easy material to use as it is very stringy and sticky. However I would recommend that you always do some practise piping before you start piping it on the final piece. This will help you get used to it and know how long and how much pressure for each piping. If you are a complete beginner, you can use a matte (fake) whipped cream instead. It has the same consistency and texture as real whipped cream. The only difference is that the silicone whipped cream retains the shine and doesn't shrink too much.

Also note that I usually use alcohol inks instead of acrylic paints to paint fruits and pastry. The reason is because when the alcohol ink dries, it forms a semi-gloss surface and you can apply a very thin layer at a time. This means you do not have to apply additional gloss to seal in the pastels. The ink also dries up quickly so it is less messy.

Naru carefully removing a freshly baked meringue tart

There are many short videos on our Instagram that will also show you all the different techniques that I have used to make miniature food. Make sure you follow us so you won't miss out on even more tips!

Since I am now the ambassador for La petite épicerie, you will also be able to find this tutorial in French and German languages!
German: http://la-petite-epicerie.fr/de/tuto/387-herzformiger-miniaturkuchen
French: http://la-petite-epicerie.fr/fr/tuto/385-la-tarte-coeur

I hope you will try the tutorial and have fun at it! Remember to just ask if you are stuck and we will try our best to help you become a miniature Pâtissier. 

Good Luck!