Wayne Magazine Holiday 2018 | Page 47

PALAZZONE 1960 WAYNE IT’S DELICIOUS LINCOLN PARK Cristal Paredes, executive pastry chef of It’s Delicious, aims to make every dessert from scratch, with love. During her eight years of experience with pastry, this motto has always been dear to her heart, because she knows the best results don’t come from prepackaged ingredients. “That’s some- thing I take a lot of pride in,” she says. During the holiday season, customers flock to Paredes’ website to get in their orders for caramel apple pie, pumpkin pie, tres leches cake, flan and other treats. She also provides several pastries with Latin American roots, such as alfajores, a South American dulce de leche sandwich cookie. It’s Delicious does not have a physical store front, so Paredes will contact and meet with clients for cake taste-testing. Prices range from about $2 for a cookie to $250-$300 for a specialty cake. • [phone], [email protected], itsdeliciousdesserts.com FRANCESCA’S BAKERY PEQUANNOCK Francesca’s Bakery has been in business for over a decade. Pies, such as blueberry, cherry, peach, cran- berry, walnut, pecan and apple crumb, are par- ticularly popular at this time of year, says Adam Curich, son of owner Robert Curich. Gluten-free and vegan items were added to the baked goods lineup in early October to help meet the needs of more customers. If you are craving something savory, Francesca’s offers empanadas, too, including chicken, beef, ham and cheese varieties. And before you leave, don’t skip the coffee. “Some people come in just for the coffee,” says Adam Curich. Donuts are $1; holiday pies are priced at $14. • 166 Newark Pompton Turnpike, [phone], francescasbakery.com This isn’t your average Italian fare. At Palazzone 1960, customers can find tradi- tional panettones, an Italian sweet bread loaf, made with the original recipe created by Remo Palazzone back in the 1960s. Other Italian favorites are available, such as sfogliatelle, cannoli and pasticciotti. In addition to the classic Italian pastries, customers can purchase cakes, cookies and creampuffs. Make sure to come back in March for the deep-fried zeppole; the bakery makes thousands of the pastry for the Feast of St. Joseph. Prices range from $1.75 for a donut to $150 for a full sheet cake. • 190 Route 23 South, [phone], palazzone1960.com CARLO’S BAKERY WAYNE Although Carlo’s Bakery is most famously known for its Hoboken location, you can get the Cake Boss’ baked goods a little closer to home, too. Buddy Valastro and his family have expanded their business into 10 differ- ent states, as well as one location in Brazil. About two years ago, the company opened a branch that attracts hungry shop- pers in the Willowbrook Mall. During the holiday sea- son, cannoli and lobster tail pastries will “sell like crazy,” says Caitlyn D’errico, general manager at the Wayne branch. The cannolis come in two flavors — regular and chocolate covered — while the lobster tails have a variety of different fillings, such as cookies and cream, salted caramel and hazelnut. “Customers go crazy for those things,” says D’errico. Prices range from about $2 for a donut to $66 for a tray of cannolis. • 1400 Willowbrook Mall, [phone], bakeshop. carlosbakery.com/willowbrook 2SWEET LITTLE FALLS From custom cupcakes to cakes, 2Sweet has you covered during the holiday season. The bakery, which moved to Little Falls from Woodland Park last year, offers a variety of cupcakes for family events during the fall and winter months, including caramel apple, vanilla chia, pumpkin, gingerbread and eggnog. Pistachio is one of their most popular varieties this time of year, says Angela Shafer, owner of 2Sweets. “We always have stuff on hand,” she says. A cupcake costs around $3, while a specialty cake will run up to $350. • 44 Main St., [phone], 2sweetllc.com CALANDRA’S BAKERY FAIRFIELD Calandra’s Bakery offers popular desserts such as pumpkin and pecan pie, cupcakes, cookies, cakes and cheesecakes, says spokes- person Michelle Peng. But the homemade bread is probably the biggest draw to customers during the holiday season. The bakery touts their loaves being 100 percent all-natural and crafted by hand, with just four ingredients and no additives; varieties include white, semolina, whole wheat and multigrain. • 244 Route 46 East, [phone], calandrasbakery.com WAYNE MAGAZINE HOLIDAY 2018 45