20...10...3-2-1 happy new year!

-
The big night is almost here (can you believe how quickly 2009 sped by?) ... for those who choose to "stay in" and entertain at home, may we suggest a few mini's from Dufflet to sweetly slide into the new year?

~ Baby Truffle Cake: Chocolate soufflé cake layered with creamy chocolate mousse; finished with a chocolate ruffle and a dusting of edible gold. Size: 2.5" (wheat free, gluten free) 

~ Tiramisu Mini: Ladyfinger sponge cake soaked in coffee liqueur syrup enrobes brandied mascarpone; topped with chocolate shavings and cocoa dust. Size: 2.5"

~ Molten Double Chocolate Mini: Individual chocolate ganache molten cakes - just warm and serve!  (Microwave: Remove from tin-foil. Place face-down on microwave safe plate. Heat High for 20 seconds).  Size: 2.5"

baby buches beat the blahs

`

The last couple of days before Christmas are always super busy - and this year even more so! Last Saturday had record line-ups in our stores with folks stocking up on the sweet stuff for weekend parties. Those of you who've already pre-ordered your holiday cakes for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are the ones we love the most. Why? Because no one wants to see SAD FACES on either Eve when we've sold out of something you had your heart set on (but forgot to pre-order). SAD FACES make us FEEL SAD :(

All of our Holiday items will be available up until New Year's Eve, including Dufflet's perfect little logs, our mini Bûche De Noël in Hazelnut or Chocolate Caramel.

Has anyone seen the current issue of Wedding Essentials yet? Please turn to page B50 and feast your eyes on the lovely Dufflet wedding cake photo there! Yes, this is a real cake served by a real bride (not a fancy photoshoot dummy). Beautiful ...

`

it's never too early for CAKE!

Holiday treats on Canada AM: Dufflet Rosenberg, Dufflet Pastries

The Queen of Cake shows viewers how to sweeten up some old dessert recipes and break out a few new ones. View the video here: http://watch.ctv.ca/news/top-picks/holiday-treats/#clip247064

To make gold painted leaves (like those on Dufflet's Hazelnut Bûche De Noël) ... Roll out white chocolate plastique and cut out shape > press shape between molds to get "leaf veins" > brush shape with edible gold dust > bend cut-out to shape ... it's just like playing with Play-Doh (but tastes better!)


Chocolate Plastique (chocolate modeling dough)

Ingredients:

12 ozw semi sweet chocolate or white chocolate, broken into small chunks
1/3 cup corn syrup

Method:

Melt chocolate in a double boiler set over simmering water.  Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.  Add the corn syrup and stir well, scraping down the sides of the bowl.  The chocolate will begin to thicken, with a dull appearance. Scrape the mixture onto plastic wrap and press ½” thick.  Seal and let rest at room temperature for 6 hours, or refrigerate until firm about 2 hours.

Remove from plastic wrap and knead briefly until soft and easy to roll. If refrigerated, leave at room temperature for 1 hour before using. To make leaves, dust work surface with either cocoa for dark leaves or icing sugar for white leaves. Roll out paste until 1/8” thick. Cut out shapes with leaf cutter. Dust with gold.

Alternatively, knead small piece of dough and run through a pasta roller on the widest setting. Note that scraps can be rewrapped and reworked by kneading. If cold, place very briefly in microwave to soften.

PS/ Edible gold dust is available at Dufflet's cafés or baking specialty stores.

roots canada just got sweeter!

~

The beautiful Roots store at 100 Bloor Street West (near Bay St.) just got a little sweeter! 

This weekend (Fri/Sat/Sun) and next weekend (Dec 18-20) take a sweet break at the mini-Dufflet cafe on the 2nd floor. Here's Dufflet Retail Manager Nedra serving up the sweet stuff earlier today.

Also, keep your eyes open for pretty seasonal tins of Dufflet's Maple Shortbread and Crackle™ packed and sold exclusively by Roots across Canada ... cute nostalgia tin is cute! For more info visit http://canada.roots.com/

~

let us eat cake ... and by "us", i mean "me"

~

Some get to test cars, airplanes or apps ... I get to test CAKE! Dufflet Rosenberg is constantly experimenting with new recipes and in the course of planning for new desserts to coincide with our monthly seasonal product newsletters, she asks us "what do you think?" 

Thinking about (and tasting) cake is serious business, but it is a chore I am willing to shoulder in an effort to offer to you (dear customer) the BEST CAKE ever! Here's what a slice of "test" Maple Spice Bundt looks like ... don't know if it will be added to production in the new year, but believe me when I say it tastes wonderful!

Dufflet was a guest judge earlier today at George Brown College's annual Gingerbread House contest (for students in their baking program) ... here are a couple of snaps via her Blackberry:

Hanukkah begins at sundown tonight with the first candle lighting ... we wish everyone a safe and joyful Chanukah with family, friends (and cake!)

~

but brownies ARE a comfort food

~

Welcome to December and things just got a little chillier ... so let us tempt you with a nice warm latte paired with Dufflet's Iced Brownie or Kahlua Toffee Bar. Makes you feel warmer just looking at the picture, y/y?

Please remember that today (Dec 1) is International Aids Day ... red ribbons are available throughout downtown Toronto. Twitter tweeters, if you add #Red to your message your tweet will show in RED! Please also visit http://www.canfar.com/ to find out how you can help.

If you're on Twitter, be sure to follow Dufflet Rosenberg @dufflet, Small Indulgences @dufflet_SI and our cafes @tourdedufflet


Be sweet to each other!

~

gimme gimme gift baskets

A hostess or corporate gift, a stocking stuffer or a special way to say "Thanks", what could be sweeter than a delightfully wrapped gift basket brimming with items from our line of Dufflet Small Indulgences? Pre-order your Dufflet Gift Baskets now via email, telephone, or in-person.


The Big Dipper:
~ Morsels “Cherries + Milk Chocolate + Madagascar Vanilla”
~ Morsels “Maple Crusted Cashews + Milk Chocolate”
~ Caramel Crackle™ Almond + Pistachio
~ Bittersweet Chocolate Crackle™ + Maple Cashew
~ Chocolate Tumbles™ Almond + Anise Liqueur”
~ Satiny Fondue "Deep Dark Chocolate",
~ Sipping Chocolate “Extra Brut + Madagascar Vanilla”
~ Dufflet ceramic mug
~ 1lb bag Classic Gourmet Coffee
~ Two Gingerbread Kid cookies 
Price: $120

The Life of the Party:
~ Morsels “Blueberries + Milk Chocolate + Valencia Orange”
~ Bittersweet Chocolate Crackle™ + Toasted Almond
~ Chocolate Tumbles™ “Hazelnut + Coffee Liqueur”
~ Sipping Chocolate “Extra Brut + Madagascar Vanilla”
~ Dufflet ceramic mug
~ Gingerbread Kid cookie 
Price: $60

The Sweet Surrender:
~ Morsels “Tart Raspberries + Dark Chocolate”
~ Caramel Crackle™ Almond + Pistachio
~ Trio of Holiday marzipan figures 
~ Gingerbread Kid cookie 
Price: $30

Holiday Cookie Bags - For staff, customers or corporate gifts - cookies packed in cellophane bags with a ribbon and a Dufflet sticker (addl charge to include your business card with each bag)
~ Gingerbread Kid $2.25 ea
~ Shortbread Wedge or Holiday Butter Shape $1.85 ea

.

i ain't afraid of no cake

scary on the outside
delicious on the inside
Dufflet-Beach on Halloween

BOO tee ful!

the sweetest day

The Sweetest Day falls tomorrow on Saturday October 17th, and is your excuse not to wait until Valentine's Day to reward a friend with something sweet!

Despite conflicting reports on it's origins, The Sweetest Day occurred naturally out of a grassroots desire to sweeten someone's day.

Originating in Cleveland in 1922, The Sweetest Day was planned by a group of retail confectioners and candy company employees. Believing that the city's orphans and shut-ins felt forgotten and neglected, this group distributed candy and small gifts to the underprivileged.

The Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October and offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, aged, and orphaned, but also friends, relatives and associates whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.

Another reason to eat more cake? Sounds good to us!

Remember - Dufflet Small Indulgences Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Crackle on sale $9.99 for 2 packs!

eat more face

An awesome way to combine 2 birthday parties into 1 cake ... Here's a photo of a photo cake we made for one of our fav customers - Wendy in Waterloo. She supplied the photos of her kids (Reid + Emily) and the Transformers ... we combined the photos and put them on this delicious cake!

Edible picture cakes are popular not only for birthdays, but also for corporate events (corporate logos and designs), book and product launches, anniversaries and holiday themes.

And as you can see - they're GREAT for BIRTHDAYS!

Contact any Dufflet retail location for more info and pricing on edible photo cakes and cupcakes!

i am a blank slate ... fill me with your cake

As we head into this long weekend (and the promis of sunny skies!) we wanted to remind you that our second biggest seller at Thanksgiving is ...

Dufflet's Apple Crumble Pie!

No surprise, this hand-made beauty is filled with plump apple chunks (with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg) baked in a rich crust; topped with a golden, buttery crumble

... a pure symphony of Apples, Unbleached Wheat Flour, Butter, Brown Sugar, Sugar, Oats, Water, Cinnamon, Salt.

Simply sweet! Order yours now for pick-up over the weekend ...

pumpkin pies, pumpkin tarts, brandy pumpkin cheesecakes ...

This weekend is Thanksgiving, and if you have't pre-ordered your Pumpkin Pies, Tarts and Cheesecakes, may we suggest that you DO IT NOW!


These sell out every year, and none of us want to see your sad faces of pumpkin disappointment over the next few days.


Call or email which ever Dufflet cafe is convenient to you - or order-online at http://www.dufflet.com/!

eat to the beat!

The 14th annual Eat To The Beat, an evening of culinary delights benefitting Willow Breast Cancer Support Canada, took place last night at Roy Thompson Hall ... great food, wine and cocktails were enjoyed by all!

Hosted by Anna Olson, (of the Food Network’s Sugar and FRESH with Anna Olson) event goers feasted on treats from over 60 chefs, incuding bite-sized Cappuccino Dacquoises from Dufflet Pastries and Tumbles™ from Small Indulgences.

Photo of Dufflet Sales Manager Karin Jensen taken with Dufflet's Blackberry.

For more info on Willow and Eat To The Beat please visit http://www.eattothebeat.ca/

eat more cake - read more books

Word On The Street, a national book & magazine festival, takes place on Sunday, September 27. WOTS Toronto (which coincides with similar events in Kitchener, Halifax and Vancouver) will take place rain or shine at Toronto's Queen's Park from 11am to 6pm.

One of the exhibitions we're looking forward to is the new Cook'n'Books Stage which will host food demos and samplings - don't miss Elizabeth Baird at 3pm (plus lots more!)

For more details, visit: http://www.thewordonthestreet.ca/wots/toronto


PS - Don't forget to make a pitstop first at Dufflet Downtown (787 Queen St. W.) to grab some take away nibbles including pumpkin tarts, smores brownies and caramel crackle!

carla collins eats cake

Post City Magazines will feature Dufflet Uptown in their Best of North Toronto issue.

From last Thursday's photo shoot, actress / broadcaster Carla Collins poses with Dufflet Uptown staffer Bobby (and totally made his day - thanks Carla!)

Look for the Post's "Best of" issue in October.

Look for Dufflet Uptown at 2638 Yonge St. (north of Eglinton) Tue-Sat 10a-7p, Sun 12p-5p (closed Mondays)

ideas for rosh hashanah (and apple lovers too!)

Delivery available - please call the Dufflet location most convenient to you for more info!

Toffee Apple Cheesecake
Apple Blueberry Kuchen
Caramel Apple Spice Bundt
Apple Crumble Pie
Four Fruit Pie
Apple Spice Cakelet
Harvest Tart
Apple Caramel Crumble Tart
Apple Raspberry Custard Tart

happy 10th birthday blogger!

Blogger’s 10th Birthday Comes With Free Birthday Presents!

To help celebrate, here's a slice of Dufflet's Double Decker Chocolate Fudge cake: Happy 10 sweet years ... here's to many more!

hello #TIFF09 - can you see us now?

We understand completely how difficult TIFF can be on the eyes ... what with the flashing lights, the silver screens and the sunny patio meetings - your irises must be spinning!

To make it easier for YOU (the CAKE craver) to find US (the CAKE baker), we've had new sandwich boards made for our 3 Toronto cafes.

Here's what they look like on a real-sidewalk on a real-sunny day outside of Dufflet Pastries on Queen Street West (near Bathurst)

Delivery to your suite, yacht or screening room can be arranged in case you can't get away ... check out http://www.dufflet.com/ for on-line ordering of cakes, tarts, cookies and dessert trays.

EAT MORE CAKE
SEE MORE MOVIES

bees make honey, dufflet makes cupcakes

Sweet sweet TIFF09 ... way too much fun!

If you're around Yonge-Dundas Square today for TIFF.kidzone at 2pm, check out E1Entertainment's "COLONY" (and a fine selection of Dufflet cupcakes!)

eat more cake @ TIFF09

Toronto's fabulous annual film festival TIFF09 is finally here!

There's so much to see and do (plus alot of lining up) - be sure to keep up to date with Tweets from @NowToronto and @tiff_net

Don't go hungry! Stock up on Dufflet's all natural bars, brownies, cookies, cupcakes and mini tarts to keep your energy good (while you patiently wait in line somewhere) ... or fill your pockets with a stash of Small Indulgences Crackle™ and Tumbles™ to nibble on (in secret + in the dark!)

Find Dufflet's preservative-free treats at many gourmet grocers, restaurants and cafes near and around TIFF events including Pusateri's, Whole Foods, Holts, Bloor St. Diner and Second Cup!


Or visit one of Dufflet's 3 cafes for your eat-in or take-out desires;
Downtown: 787 Queen Street West (west of Bathurst)
Uptown: 2638 Yonge Street (north of Eglinton)
Beach: 1917 Queen Street East (east of Woodbine)

eat more cake 101 (for beginners)

Fresh for fall and new to the line-up is a wickedly delicious Apple Spice Cakelet™ (with a hint of maple in the cream cheese icing) plus a tangy-sweet fruit-festival of a Harvest Euro Tart.

Although we've deleted summer's Strawberry Dacquoise Mini, our newest Hazelnut Praline Dacquoise Mini picks up the crunchy-nut meringue banner for Fall - and ups the YUM factor with layers of irresistible hazelnut cream.

Fall brings some exciting events for Dufflet’s retail locations. drop by Dufflet Downtown and check the Queen Specific gallery space beside the store during the Queen West Art Crawl, happening Friday September 18th to Saturday September 20th. Stop in for take-out sweets and experience this popular neighborhood event highlighting local artists and galleries.

Visit Dufflet Beach for all your refreshment needs while you cheer on the runners at the 20th anniversary Scotiabank Marathon on September 27th. This year's route change places Dufflet Beach at a key point in the race making it the ideal spot to cheer (or shop the local Marathon Sidewalk Sale)

Dufflet Uptown, is countering the street construction (destruction?)woes by offering a local delivery special in September for those of you who are having trouble getting to the store to pick up your goodies. Contact our Uptown location directly for more details.

Finally, our Downtown and Uptown locations will be closed on Monday, September 7 for Labour Day, but our Beach cafe will be open for you to stock up on your back to school treats.

the pumpkins are coming, the pumpkins are coming

Available beginning Sept 1 (until American Thanksgiving Nov 26), Dufflet's classic fall desserts, fresh from the pumpkin patch!

Brandy Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin spice cheesecake accented with brandy and baked in a rich shortbread crust; decorated with whipped cream and spiced walnuts.

Pumpkin Pie
Traditional baked pumpkin custard in a flaky pastry; topped with fresh spiced cream and candied ginger.

Pumpkin Tart
Traditional baked pumpkin custard in a buttery tart shell; topped with fresh spiced cream and candied ginger.


*best to place your pre-orders now, as these sell out quickly!

a sneak peek + a long weekend ...

Here's a sneak preview of one of our new products being introduced with our next newsletter (available beginning August 25th) ...

Dufflet's Apple Spice Cakelet™.

Moist layers of cinnamon/nutmeg spiced apple sponge cake with a cream cheese filling and finished with cream cheese frosting with a hint of maple.


August long weekend!

Both Dufflet Downtown and Dufflet Uptown will be closed for Simcoe Day on Monday August 3rd, but for you Beach strollers please note that Dufflet Beach will be open for your sweet take-out or dine-in needs!

jazz up your window? done!

Congratulations to Dufflet Beach for winning 2nd prize in the "Jazz up your Window" contest from Beaches Jazz and BIA!

Beach businesses on Queen Street East were judged for best decorated windows during the Beaches International Jazz Festival, with judges basing their selection on imagination, professional execution and integration of elements of jazz/music.

For more details, visit the Beaches BIA at
http://www.beachesbia.com/Events.asp

sweet design at the design exchange ...

Toronto's Design Exchange (DX) is wonderful for many reasons, but most importantly it examines design present in elements of everyday life - products, packaging, corporate identity, retail goods, the written word, on-line, interactive, structures and environments.

One of the coolest things that you may not know about DX is that they host design-based summer camps for children aged 6 to 15. A creative team of instructors, senior camp staff, and visiting professionals lead programs in topics such as designing for rock stars, fashion, theatre, toys and food.

Last week, Dufflet Rosenberg was invited to speak at the "Sweet Design" class where campers (ages 6 to 8) were guided in Gingerbread Architecture, Candy Wrapper Accessories, and some Sweet Shop Graphics. Dufflet presented a Power Point showing the importance of design at Dufflet Pastries (from the cakes themselves to packaging and on-line presence), and answered questions from the campers while treating them to brightly coloured butter cookies. No surprise, when asked what their favourite cake was, the gang yelled out "Chocolate!"

Design Camp (summer camp) runs from July 6 to August 28 - please visit the Design Exchange for more info at http://www.dx.org/

dufflet beach and all that jazz ...

The 21st Annual Beaches International Jazz Festival officially kicked off on July 17, but this weekend (July 23-25) upwards of a million people will roam around and soak up the ambience along a closed 2 km stretch of Queen Street East in Toronto.

It's an annual afternoon into evening pedestrian-only pilgrammage for folks to groove to the finest in Big Band, Swing, Dixieland, Smooth, Post-Bop, Afro-Cuban, Fusion, Funk, R&B and Soul sounds that Canada has to offer, with bands performing 3 sets nightly from 7pm to 11pm at a variety of street locations.

But wait ... there's more!

Why not launch your stroll and enjoy some sweet deals at Dufflet Beach (1917 Queen St. E.)? Weather permitting (inside if raining), drop by our sidewalk table each evening starting around 6pm (until store closes) and walk away with specially priced naturally delicious Jazz Festival treats including brownies for $2, gourmet cookies for $1.50, colourful butter shapes for $1.25 and fresh lemonade for $2.

For your convenience, here's a handy map of the area:



More info on street closures and a list of performers may be found at http://www.beachesjazz.com/streetfest.html

i'll tumble for ya ...

From the folks who brought you Chocolate Crackle™, imagine this: crunchy nuts tumbled with a dash of liqueur, vanilla wafer pieces and velvety rich chocolate ...

Summer Special at Dufflet Retail cafes only!

Buy 2 packs of Chocolate Tumbles™ and receive a free mini bag of Chocolate Morsels. (while quantities last)

Dufflet Downtown:
787 Queen Street West (west of Bathurst)
Dufflet Uptown:
2638 Yonge Street (north of Eglinton)
Dufflet Beach:
1917 Queen Street East (east of Woodbine)

when your cooler is a paper bag ...

Dufflet's Fresh Collection is preservative free and made with genuine cream, butter and eggs, so sometimes it's hard to decide which sweet treat to take along for bike rides, road trips, back yard bbq's and trips to the cottage.

Here's a short-list of some of Dufflet's signature treats that can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days;

~ gourmet cookies (Camp, Ginger Spice, Chocolate Crinkle, Macaroons and more!)

~ buttery coffeecakes (Caramel Apple Spice, Chocolate Toffee Crunch, Lemon Zinger, Marble Espresso)

~ perfect pies (Double Chocolate Pecan Pie, Squirrel Pie, Pecan Pies with caramel or chocolate drizzle)

~ mini loaf coffeecakes (Cherry Chocolate Streusel, Carrot, Chocolate Banana, Cranberry Orange, Lemon Blueberry)

~ timeless tarts (Butterscotch Nut, Caramel Chocolate Chunk, Double Fudge, Sour Cherry Almond and more!)

~ bars + brownies (German Brownie, Kahlua Toffee, Rocky Blondie, Sweet D's, Date Bar and more!)

Photos: Cherry Chocolate Streusel Mini Cake, Caramel Chocolate Chunk Euro Tart

eat more prizes ...

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the 2009 Tour de Dufflet - and to Duke's Cycle and Crumpler for their wonderful prizes. Here are the super-lucky winners (drawn at random from this year's registration cards):

1st prize - Warren Wheeler
$100 gc from Duke’s Cycles, $25 gc from Dufflet Pastries

2nd prize - Susan Bishop
Bike bag from Crumpler (photo above) and $25 gc from Dufflet Pastries

3rd prize - Vanessa Christie
$44 gc from Dufflet Pastries

Dufflet Pastries has donated $615 to the Toronto Cyclists Union who were this year's charitable recipients of your $5 registration fees - these cycling advocates are definitely a good group to support so please visit their website to learn more about what they do.

Links to visit:
http://dukescycle.ca/
https://www.crumpler.ca/flash/flash.aspx
http://bikeunion.to/
http://twitter.com/bikeunion

eat more gold ...

Heather Chu, Brand Specialist for Dufflet Small Indulgences, snuggles up to her first ever gold sofi™ awarded for Best Confection 2009, Dufflet Caramel Crackle™.

The following pr is shamelessly copied from the Phatguru blog ... we're so exited!


New York, NY (June 29, 2009) – Winners were announced this evening for the 37th sofi Awards for the outstanding foods and beverages of the year. Presented by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) the awards honor the outstanding specialty foods and beverages of the year in 33 categories. “sofi” stands for specialty outstanding food innovation.

The awards were presented at the Summer Fancy Food Show by noted chef Ming Tsai at a red-carpet event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.

The 2009 sofi Gold Winners are: Confection—Dufflet Caramel Crackle ™ - Almond & Pistachio
(some other folks won too - view the entire list at Phatguru)

Competition was strong this year, with 1,997 entries across all 33 categories. This spring, a national panel of specialty food experts narrowed the field to 128 Silver Finalists during five days of judging at NASFT’s offices in New York City. More than 550 buyers at the Summer Fancy Food Show cast ballots to select the gold winners. The results were tabulated by an outside accounting firm this afternoon. The Summer Fancy Food Show ends tomorrow, June 30.

The NASFT is a not-for-profit trade association established in 1952 to foster commerce and interest in the specialty food industry. Today there are more than 2,900 members in the U.S. and abroad. For more info visit NASFT/Fancy Food Show and Foodspring


Dufflet Small Indulgences line of Crackles™, Tumbles™, Morsels and more are available at all three Toronto Dufflet cafes as well as gourmet grocers and gift shops through out North America.


Did I mention that we won the gold?

your crackle awaits you ...

The sofi™ Awards, formerly known as the NASFT Product Awards, is an annual competition to honor truly outstanding specialty foods: the best of the best.

Dufflet Small Indulgences’ Caramel Crackle™ - Almond + Pistachio has been recognized with a 2009 sofi™ Silver, for Outstanding Confection and moves on to compete for Gold in at the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) fancy food show on today in NYC.

The sofi™ Awards recognize excellence in specialty foods and beverages in 33 categories and are a coveted industry honor. “sofi” stands for Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation.

This is the second year in a row that a product from Dufflet’s Crackle™ line has been chosen to compete by the national panel of specialty food experts who this year tasted and evaluated 1,433 submissions. Read the full press release here

... if you're in New York at the trade show, please drop by the Small Indulgences Booth 2227 and ask Dufflet herself for a taste of crackle!

bike month ends, but the ride goes on ...

The Tour de Dufflet is officially over for another year, and we want to send a big thank you to everyone who participated in this year's eat more cake, ride more bike challenge. We had a great turnout with well over 100 registrants - special thanks to our returning cyclers from last year’s Tour who helped make this year’s event even more fun! Stay tuned to next month's prize winner announcements!

Another busy Toronto weekend kicks off with the annual Pride And Remembrance Run (a 5k run that helps support charities that benefit the LGBT community). This race is the largest of its kind in Canada and takes place on Saturday June 27 at 10:00 am in the Church & Wellesley area of Toronto. Once again Dufflet is one of the run sponsors, so runners, please be sure to drop by the Dufflet table and say Hi! For more info, visit http://www.priderun.org/

Toronto's 29th annual Pride Parade 2009, “CAN'T STOP: WON'T STOP” begins at 2 pm – Sunday, June 28th and travels west on Bloor St. between Church and Yonge, south on Yonge St. from Bloor to Gerrard, and east on Gerrard St. to Church. ... please visit their site at http://www.pridetoronto.com/festival/pride-parade/ to check out the parade route.

2 more days of cake

The Tour de Dufflet and Toronto's Bike Month ends tomorrow at 5pm, so saddle up and get out there!

Dufflet Beach was the place to be June 13th where our 2nd anniversary celebration meshed nicely with weekend Tour de Dufflet riders and folks intrigued by our Dessert Dim Sum menu.

pink + velvet = pride

Dufflet Celebrates Toronto Pride June 19 - 28, 2009 ... save $2 off 9” large or $1 off 6” small Pink Velvet Cakes.

Red Velvet cakes are famous for being ... well, famous! Earliest recipes originate from the southern U.S. and use everything from beet juice to artificial food dyes to enhance their ruddy hue under a blanket of white frosting.

Dufflet reinvents this come-back classic via natural food chemistry (cocoa, cinnamon and buttermilk) to create her magical Pink Velvet Cake. Moist sheets of spicy, cocoa enriched cake are layered with a sweet cream cheese icing that is naturally tinted pink - no artificial colours, no preservatives!

eat more pink cake!

also happening - new QueenSpecific show from 19 June - 28 July, 2009
Opening 19 June, 6-7pm *QueenSpecific, next to Dufflet Pastries at 787 Queen St. West, Toronto

Molly to Molly consists of a suite of four lenticular photographs documenting four generations of women from the artist's family. The top three photographs each contain a pair of images of a mother and her daughter: Molly & Sharon; Sharon & Lainie; Lainie & Molly. The bottom photograph pairs an image of the youngest member of the family with the great grandmother for whom she is named.

Toronto based artist, Michael Klein has been exhibiting video and photo-based work for more than 25 years. His interests include personal history and identity, relationships and interaction, structure and presentation. Michael Klein is also the director of MKG127, www.mkg127.com

*QueenSpecific is a window exhibition space displaying site specific art installations. It is located on Queen St. West adjacent to and co-sponsored by Dufflet Pastries. Artists exhibiting in the space are asked to consider the dimensions of the window, the locale and the potential to engage with the casual passer-by.

*QueenSpecific is programmed by Toronto based artist Joy Walker. For more information please visit: www.queenspecific.com

nix-nee and the em-em-vee-ehs?

Tour de Dufflet riders, beware of stray musicians when cycling along Queen Street this weekend!

NXNE kicked off last night (why does it always rain on opening night?) and will run all weekend until June 21 or until delegates decide to get some sleep. This annual music festival is a must-attend for anyone who loves music (specially the really good home-grown stuff). 500 bands ... 5 days ... Dear Wrist-band holders - please remember that something sweet from Dufflet will give you the energy to go on (to one more showcase!). Please visit NXNE and NOW Magazine to get details.

Also stopping traffic in the Queen West and John area will be Sunday's MMVA09 Music Video awards live at MuchMusic. Fans begin lining up at 6am for the red carpet arrivals at 8pm ... hopefully they will remember to appoint a designated snack-fetcher to drop by Dufflet at 787 Queen St. W. (open at 12pm on Sundays) for coffee and cake take-out. Check out the Much MMVA site at MuchMusic to find out more about performances from Jonas Brothers, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson and Black Eyed Peas (just to name a few)

Dufflet Uptown's 7th anniversary on June 6th was maybe not so star-studded, but sweet all the same!

weekend riders ... crackle special

The past weekend was a busy one - the weather was fantastic, and packs of Tour de Dufflet riders were everywhere! For the second year, Natalie Hulme and Birgit Hulme took the "ride more bike" challenge (along with Heike DeCaria) - we love it when you come back for more! Also on the weekend, John Moss, Al Rozoski and Peter Maione discussed bikes and cake with Dufflet!


Another popular activity at all 3 Dufflet locations is stocking up on Dufflet Small Indulgences Crackle™, which is currently running a Father's Day promotion (in-store shopping only); from June 12-21 buy 2 boxes of Crackle™ and receive a gift bag of Dufflet Chocolate Morsels.

Featured in a recent issue of Country Living, Dufflet's Crackle™ is one of the hottest confection items around today winning accolades and awards throughout North America ... they also make a better gift than a tie for Father's Day!

father's day is no laughing matter

The movement to create a Father's Day began around 1908 and was lead by a woman who wanted to honour her widowed Dad raising 6 children.

Unfortunately, the American press chose to satirize the tribute to fatherhood, and Father's Day often tottered on the brink of disappearing completely. One argument was that if Father's were celebrated (like Mother's), then what would come next ... Maiden Aunt Days, Household Pet Days? The cynics had a field day!

Difficulties continued with the problem of gift-giving to celebrate Dad on his day. The sentimental items perfect for Mother's Day (flowers, cards and novelties) seem funny if given to Dad ... hence, the tradition of giving ties. Funny, odd-coloured ties that Dad would wear once and then hide in the back of a drawer for ever more.

Well, this Sunday (June 21), Father's in Toronto can relax. Dufflet has a little something for your sweet tooth that any son or daughter will be happy to give, and any Dad happy to enjoy!

Just the perfect size, Dufflet's 6" Chocolate Fudge Single Layer cake for Father's Day is a dark and moist sour cream chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate icing topped with a special decoration for Dad.

If you'd like to read more about Father's Day (and other commemorative days), check out Consumer Rites By Leigh Eric Schmidt (Google Books preview here)