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Join us for a meal after 3pm at our Fremont store and you'll receive a free slice of cake! Much in the same way that our Palo Alto store offers free cake with your sandwich or salad for lunch, our Fremont store is giving away the same sweet deal to any sandwich, salad, pasta or specials entree for dinner. I would hurry though, this offer won't last forever and quantity is limited every night. 

Speaking of Fremont specials, we'll be changing them again very soon. Before they go away, make sure to try our current ones: Grilled Shrimp Pasta, Mango Chutney Tilapia and Chicken Carbonara.

The Mango Chutney Tilapia is one of my favorite specials. It's served with soft white rice and homemade mango chutney that's not too sweet and not too tart (from the real mango chunks). I'll be sad to see this special go.

We'll also be changing our regular lunch/dinner menu in the next few weeks, and I'm very happy to announce that our Chicken Carbonara will now be a permanent item on the menu! As one of our most popular dishes ever, we think it deserves some space on the menu board.

But with the addition of some new items comes the removal of others. Although it is one of my favorite dishes of all time, unfortunately we'll be removing our Salmon Beurre Blanc from the menu. Since we refuse to use frozen Salmon filets, it's just been too hard to keep fresh fish on hand with such low demand of this entree. But if you haven't tried it yet I strongly urge you to stop by for it. It's a dish you would expect to find at a fine-dining restaurant but we serve it for only a fraction of the price!

These changes will be made pretty soon so stop by this week if you can. And remember, come in after 3pm and you'll receive a free slice of cake with your entree! Limited quantities and limited time only (restrictions may apply).

To stay up to date with promos like this one, make sure to follow us on Twitter @TheProlificOven

Stay tuned for an update on our new specials next week!

Happy New Year to all! The holidays are never long enough, are they?

But now it's time to get back to business. With a new year ahead of us, we're very excited to be making some new additions! We'll be busy in the kitchen stirring up some new recipes. I've got a few in mind... maybe some sugar-free products, some gluten-free - although no promises! What's tough about these two kinds of cakes and pastries is we refuse to stray away from our philosophy: using the highest quality ingredients to bake the highest quality final products. We don't want to cut any corners, which makes baking sugar-free and gluten-free very challenging. 

Any other suggestions or recommendations? Over the holidays we were receiving numerous phone calls asking about Lemon Cake. We do bake a fabulous Lemon Poppyseed Cake as well as a Lemon Custard Cream and a Lemon Rum Cream, but I think a plain Lemon Cake would be nice too. Another request I received is for Coconut Cake, so I'll be working on that too.

What do you think? Anything else you would like to see our bakery carry?

Check out these new boxes we now carry for cookies! Pick as many cookies as you'd like - of whatever assortment - and we'll box them for you with a great bow -- super fun and easy gifts!

So now there is a choice of Cookie Tins, Cookie Boxes or Cookie Bags (not pictured)!

Our Gingerbread cookies are very popular this time of year. We make a variety of shapes and sizes, including angels, boys, girls, trees and more. Pictured below is our Large Man next to some regular-sized Gingerbread.

And two more cookies that we feature during this time of the year: Spritz Cookies (Swedish butter cookies) and Mexican Wedding Cookies.

Last couple of days to get your orders in! Please call in by Friday to have your orders ready on Christmas Eve. Remember, we will be closed Christmas Day. 

Christmas Eve hours:

Palo Alto: 7:00am - 6:00pm, lunch until 3:00pm

Santa Clara: 7:30am - 6:00pm, kitchen closing at 3:00pm

Fremont: 7:30am - 6:00pm, kitchen closing at 3:00pm

Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday!

In addition to my last post on Holiday Gift Ideas, here are a few more ideas that are especially, although not exclusively, great for companies. Among the most popular are the Cookie Tins and Fruitcakes, but there are a few baked goods that can be ordered in large quantities that will work just as well, if not better.

1. Mini Dessert Platters

We make a variety of mini desserts including fruit tartlets, lemon tartlets, Eclairs, Cream Puffs, Napoleons and Grand Marnier Balls. Feel free to create an assortment with as little or as many desserts as you like. We can pack them in our standard bakery boxes or on party platters. We do offer special pricing for 25 pieces on a tray, limited to one kind of dessert per tray. 

2. Morning Pastry Boxes

With a large variety to choose from, there's something for every office! For your convenience, we have five preset boxes to choose from. Of course if non of these assortments are to your liking, we can also make custom boxes. Almost all of our morning pastries are also available in mini sizes.

4. Buche de Noels and Yule Logs

While we are already on the topic of gifting cakes, why not kick it up a notch? Our Buche de Noels and Yule Logs are exclusively made this time of year. They're a bit more extravagant, but can really brighten up an office party. Your clients will really be surprised and appreciate this one. Find more details on our Holiday Special Occasions page here.

5. Bags of Cake Bites

Since the launch of this product a few months ago, we have been getting tons of positive feedback! With these Cake Bites, there's no hassle of delivering a full-sized cake while having the same quality and taste and having enough to go around. They can be individually bagged per person or packed in a box (think box of donut holes!) or party platter (picture aboved). 

6. Box of Cupcakes

Each box holds six cupcakes, pick and choose the kinds you want: Chocolate with Chocolate icing, Chocolate with Mocha icing, Chocolate with Rum icing, Carrot, Orange Almond, White Cake with Chocolate icing and/or White Cake with Orange icing. Bow is complimentary :)

Or just send a whole bunch to the office!

Hope this helps. If ordering in large quantities, please place orders in advance. Please leave a comment or call our stores if you have any questions!

Happy Holidays :)

Holiday shopping can be a pain sometimes. The crowds, the lines and not to mention the headache over finding the perfect gift for your loved ones. Whoever that may be - maybe a parent or a sibling, a friend or a co-worker - skip the mall and head to one of our four convenient locations.

Let's start with co-workers or managers first. Our Holiday Cookie Tins or Cookie Baskets are perfect for the office. The best part is they're customizable to your needs. Choose to do a tin of six cookies, a basket of 100 (the perfect gift from one company to another) or any number of cookies in-between. Mini assorted, regular-size assorted, Gingerbread, our special Holiday-only cookies - the choice is all yours. You can give (and therefore spend!) as little or as much as you'd like. Any way you go, the cookies are baked freshly every day and packed with care.

A great gift for family members or neighbors alike - which many of our customers are already taking advantage of - is our Naturally Aged Fruitcakes. Our fruitcakes are made with raisins, currants, almonds, walnuts, figs, dates, prunes and a bit of fresh orange peel. They were baked in October so they could be naturally aged with brandy, which means we don't add any preservatives unlike other places. Even without additives these fruitcakes, because of the real alcohol, will last you throughout the year and into January. Because they were baked to be aged, we only have a limited supply left. Pick up a pre-wrapped box today at the stores or call ahead to place a hold.

And there's always our Gift Cards. Available at Palo Alto, Santa Clara and Fremont locations, purchase as many cards as you need for any amount (over $10, increments of $5) that is available to redeem at any of those three locations with no expiry dates. This gift is perfect for those who frequent our locations for breakfast or lunch, or maybe you know they love our cakes but you don't know which one. The Gift Card is fast, easy and yet still thoughtful.

Stay tuned for our next post... maybe you don't need gift ideas but you've been asked to bring dessert to dinner. I'll be making some recommendations and giving details about the cakes we exclusively make during this holiday season. Until then, keep warm!

This blog post is for those of you who actively follow our Twitter and this blog. Since we're talking about the day to give Thanks, I want to thank each and every one of you by letting you in on a few secret menu items we have for this Thanksgiving. You won't find details of the following items anywhere else on our site - not even at our stores - so read on if you're interested in exclusive desserts!

You'll want to place an order in advance for these items, since they don't really exist for anyone else but you, our readers! :)

MINI PIES: Individual desserts are cuter, more elegant and less of a mess. If you agree, you'll love our Mini Pumpkin and Mini Pecan Pies.

Plus, you get more crust this way!

Sadly, these tiny pies (about 4" in diameter) aren't big enough to fit our apple or cherry fillings. Don't forget we do have Banana Cream Tarts though, inspired by our Banana Cream Pies (the tarts just use a different dough for the crust).

Now, my favorite Thanksgiving item: Cheesecake-filled Pumpkin Cupcakes. A few years ago, during a slow night at our Fremont store, I whipped up a batch and fell in love. I was only making them for friends and family, and occasionally for the stores when I had the time. Since this post is really to thank you, our reader, I'll definitely be sure to make time should you choose to order these. Besides, these are too good not to share.

A Pumpkin Cupcake (different from our traditional Pumpkin Cake that we've had for years - that one contains walnuts and cranberries) with just the right amount of pumpkin flavor and the perfect balance of fluffy and cakey. In the middle, you'll find a sweet surprise: a small layer of cheesecake filling.

Topped with our Orange Cream Cheese frosting for a perfect complimenting flavor.

So there they are, three products this Thanksgiving that no one else knows about. Thanks again for making the effort to stay up-to-date with us. Remember to place your orders in advance to guarantee these secret items or any of the items we bake. Hope you and your family have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm a summer kind of girl but there's one thing that I love about fall that I undoubtly look forward to each year: PUMPKIN PIES. Well, Pumpkin-anything really. Pies, cakes, cheesecakes, cupcakes, lattes... you get the picture.

The other day I was at my neighborhood supermarket when I noticed several piles of Pumpkin Pies (officially the start of the season, for me). What was even more shocking than the number of pies on the table was the price tag that was attached to it: $5.99 each. 

Although I love a great buy, I know I'll get what I pay for. Our Pumpkin Pie is, I'll admit, more expensive at $13.25 each but we use quality ingredients without artificial flavors, colors or enhancers. I can also promise there aren't any strange ingredients that you can't immediately recognize, let alone pronounce. In fact, I'll name them for you:

Ingredients in our Pumpkin Pie filling:
Pumpkin (100% pure)
Sugar
Eggs
Spices (salt, cinnamon, etc)
Dairy

Like all of our baked products, we don't add any artificial flavors or artificial colors. We don't add any preservatives or additives -- nothing but common ingredients that you'll find in your very own kitchen. We only take the mess of making it off your hands, that's it. Natural, pure and made from scratch.

In much the same manner, we bake many other pies: Apple, Cherry, Pecan (above), Banana Cream and Chocolate Cream (below). 

So while our pies are just a bit more in price, you'll have comfort in knowing you only served a natural and pure pie that was made by hand from scratch by our family for yours.

Please also see our last blog post regarding Thanksgiving Dinner! Other items that we specially bake for Thanksgiving include: Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Strudels, Sticky Buns, Bread Loaves, Panettone, Hot Cross Buns, Aged Fruit Cakes and more. Please place your orders in advance to guarantee items.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy November! Can you believe that it's November already? We are only weeks away from Thanksgiving and before we know it, it'll be the new year. I blame the crazy weather we are having in the Bay Area. Don't get me wrong, I love blue skies and warm temperatures, but I feel a little cheated by the return of fall. It has creeped up on us.

So while the temperatures might suggest otherwise, don't forget that arguably one of the biggest dinners of the year is almost here. Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday. Each year my family hosts, and it's always so heart-warming to see my extended family crowded around our much-to-small dinner table. It's always overflowing with food, sometimes so that we have to hold our plates while we eat. But for some, Thanksgiving brings headaches, hassles and anxieties over serving something delicious and large enough for the party (those of us who cook know that sometimes these two ideas don't go hand-in-hand). Thankfully, this is something I don't have to worry about, and neither should you.

Perfect for both a corporate event or for your family meal at home, our Thanksgiving Catering package covers all the bases for your lunch or dinner, plus we offer anything else you may need: dinner rolls, bread loaves, PIES, cakes and more.

Let's start with the main meal first. Each Turkey Dinner includes a turkey that is at the very least 16 pounds,  homemade cornbread stuffing, hand-mashed potatoes and gravy made from scratch. Serving about 15-18 people, this complete meal is less than $7 per person.

-- Homemade cornbread stuffing for a large corporate catering order last year --

Popular add-ons we also offer include:
Honey-Cured Ham (natural juice, pure muscle) with homemade honey pineapple sauce
Dinner Rolls by the dozen, available in white and wheat
Sauteed Vegetables
All other items on our regular Cafe menu, including pastas, salads and our Vegetable Tofu Plate

And of course we offer a whole variety of dessert for Thanksgiving, the most popular being our homemade, made-from-scratch pies. If you order the Thanksgiving Catering package, we offer our phenomenal Pumpkin Pies at a discounted price of $19.95 for two. Unlike other bakeries, supermarkets and alike, our pies are all-natural and pure, with no preservatives, no additives and no artificial flavors. We also bake Apple, Cherry, Pecan, Chocolate Cream and Banana Cream pies in the same manner.

-- Rack of Pumpkin and Pecan (in the back) Pies on the morning of Thanksgiving last year (11/25/10) --

So as you can see, Thanksgiving Dinner can really be quite easy. The dinner comes hot and ready to serve, and you only need to make one stop for both meal and dessert. The only thing we do ask is that you call to place your order in advance - we won't have any extras on the day of (Yes! We ARE open on Thanksgiving Day). Actually, quantities are limited so if you're interested, make sure to speak to a Catering Manager ASAP. 

-- We can pre-carve the whole turkey for only $10 extra --

Considering Turkey Catering for a corporate event? Not a problem. We've catered our Turkey Dinner for 15 to 200 people in the past. Packages are available for pick-up or delivery the week before Thanksgiving too, in case your office won't be open the week of. Call our Santa Clara (408-986-8388) or Fremont (510-252-1098) stores and speak to a Catering Manager.

Stay turned for more Thanksgiving posts!

[EDIT on 11/7/2011: These specials have expired. Please check follow us on Twitter to stay up to date with our specials!]

In keeping with our promise to change the Fremont specials more often, we launched three new dishes today. 

Last month, we took off our Tilapia and Fish N Chip specials and I'll be honest and admit some of you were less than thrilled with us. But we wanted to challenge your taste buds, have you try new things and be able to prove that we are capable of a whole lot more than just those two fish entrees - even though they were good. We want to expand horizons - yours and ours alike - and get a little creative.

I'd say we did just that with our new red-meat special. We took a slab of Rib-Eye steak, rolled it while stuffing it with pepper jack cheese and fresh spinach and wrapped it in bacon. Now, in my opinon, bacon-wrapped anything is great. Bacon-wrapped STEAK? Phenomenal. And bacon-wrapped STUFFED steak? Well, I can barely wrap my head around how delicious that has to be.

And it is as good as it looks and sounds. Obviously bursting with flavor, our Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Steak is served with roasted pearl onions in a red-wine reduction, alongside Chipotle mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables. The mashed potatoes have great flavor and is pretty mild for those of you who don't like spice. This special is better than any other steak special we've had and a must-try! 

Because we had so many requests for the Tilapia special, we did bring the fish back but as a different entree. Our Almond-Crusted Tilapia can be served both with or without almonds (but definitely try it with if you aren't allergic!). Instead of serving it with rice pilaf, our chefs wanted to use something a little bit more elegant and tasty: Israeli couscous. Larger and slightly more pasta-like, our Israeli couscous is prepared with chopped onions, celery, carrots and lemon juice. It's light, crunchy and very refreshing. The dish is topped with lemon cream sauce, an excellent complement to both the fish and the couscous.

Lastly, we replaced our old house-favorite Chicken Carbonara with Chicken Marsala, another new dish. We know the Chicken Carbonara is very popular but it has been on the menu since the beginning. Give this one a shot! It is cooked in a similar manner but with Marsala wine, slightly healthier since it is sans-heavy cream. The chicken breast is smothered in the wine sauce with sauteed mushrooms and fresh spinach, and served with butter fettuccine and sauteed vegetables. Let us know what you think!

Expect these specials to stay through October. As always, leave any comments or suggestions for future specials. Hope you can make it into our Fremont store to try these!

[EDIT on 10/17/11: Sorry but this promotion has expired! Stay up-to-date with our promos by following us on Twitter!]

The Palo Alto Int'l Film Festival is coming up this weekend and we'd like your help in supporting the independent film "No One Will Know", starring Jessie Draper. You may recognize her as the host of "The Valley Girl Show", a web-based talk show where she "talks business" with various CEOs and entrepreneurs from around the globe. (By the way, "The Valley Girl Show" is currently filming their fourth season! To watch previous episodes, visit www.valleygirl.tv)

Bring in your movie ticket after screening "No One Will Know" and we'll give you 10% off your next purchase at our Palo Alto store, valid until 10/15/2011. It's that easy! Purchase your tickets for the FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30th 10:00PM show of "No One Will Know" here. Keep your ticket after the screening to redeem your discount* at our Palo Alto store. Make sure to come in before October 15th, when this offer expires!

For more information:

www.noonewillknowmovie.com

www.paiff.net

www.valleygirl.tv

*Only one discount per ticket, ticket must be surrendered at time of purchase, valid only at Palo Alto store, cannot be combined with any other offers, offer expires 10/15/2011