It’s Christmas and indulgence is the theme of the season, whether its family, festivities or food! Indulge in your favorite Christmas desserts with San Francisco based Dial-A-Dessert. From the Christmas cookies and cupcakes to the fruit tarts and pies, Dial-A-Dessert has something for you.
Founder of Dial-A-Dessert, Angela Gonzalez, is a pastry chef who moved to the United States from Columbia. Christmas season is “super busy” for Angela but she made the time to talk to us about her business and give us her family recipe for a Christmas dessert!
Website: www.dialadessert.com
1. Tell us a bit about yourself:
I am from originally from Colombia. I have always loved art, food, and design. I come from a family of architects, writers, art critics, and chefs. I studied architecture in Colombia, and later became a pastry chef after moving to the United States.
My husband and I moved to the Bay Area because he got a job in the technology field and we wanted to experience life abroad. Although we initially planned to stay for no more than three years, we have been here ever since, with our daughters and our dog.
2. When did you realize that cooking/baking was a passion that wanted to pursue?
I started to cook at a very young age–when I was 6 years old I could cook an entire meal. With time, I realized that my favorite thing to make was dessert. I became well-known in my family for making yummy “postres” that were not too sweet, and I sold brownies and cookies to the restaurants near my university as a way to earn some extra money. A few years ago, I decided to attend pastry school to take my love of baking one step further.
3. How did you get started with your business?
After finishing pastry school, I felt that there was a need for high-end, high-quality dessert catering. Dial-a-Dessert’s pastries are made from scratch in small batches, and we deliver directly to homes and small businesses.
4. What types of desserts does Dial A Dessert offer?
Dial-a-dessert offers a variety of desserts, ranging from intricately decorated sugar cookies to Colombian passion fruit mousse. Catered events typically include smaller desserts such as miniature cupcakes and fruit tarts, but each order is extremely personalized. Dial-a-Dessert is very dynamic. I always ensure that the quality of ingredients, taste, and visual presentation is exceptional. But the products themselves change for each customer depending on their specific vision and the theme of the occasion. We also have a Dessert of the Month Club, in which subscribers receive a sweet surprise right to the door of their home or business once a month—a torte or tart, pie or pot de creme, flan or mousse, cookies, brownies, or bars.
5. Which desserts are most popular during Christmas?
Pies, tarts, cookies, and flan are some of the most popular desserts during Christmas.
Pies, tarts, cookies, and flan are some of the most popular desserts during Christmas.
6. Which dessert is your favorite?
My favorite dessert is Colombian passion fruit mousse with Creme Anglaise.
7. What are the traditional Christmas dishes or desserts or traditions popular in your home country, Colombia?
Some traditional Colombian Christmas dishes and desserts are ajiaco (a soup made with chicken, potatoes, and corn), tamales, and arroz de leche (rice pudding).
8. What is your favorite part about the Christmas holiday season in the US?
Our family has a tradition of spending Christmas at home. We always make a simple but special dinner and watch the movie “Elf” on Christmas eve. This year, we are going to make cheese and chocolate fondue.
Our family has a tradition of spending Christmas at home. We always make a simple but special dinner and watch the movie “Elf” on Christmas eve. This year, we are going to make cheese and chocolate fondue.
9. Could you share a simple dessert recipe with our readers for Christmas?
I would love to share my flan recipe. It has been in my family for generations and like in every home in latin america, I think our flan is the best flan in the world! I love that such humble ingredients create such a delicate and complex dessert. Every country in Latin America has its own version.
Flan de Leche
Ingredients
1 can sweet and condensed milk
1 1/4 cups whole milk
4 large eggs
1 tsp real vanilla
1 cup of sugar for the caramel
To make the caramel:
Pour sugar in small saucepan, turn heat on medium. Once the sugar starts to caramelize mix it up until it turns amber color pour into a ceramic pyrex 9 inch container.
Then, mix all the other ingredients in a blender and pour on top of the caramel.
bake in a “bain Marie” (a double pan) for 1 hour, cool completely in the refrigerator.
Contributors:
Writing by Sandhya Jaishankar and Angela Gonzalez
Photography courtesy of Angela Gonzalez
