Anthea Ponsetti, the owner and cookie maker of Om Nom Nom Cookies, was recently tapped to be the new dessert chef at the Corner.
The queen of vegan cookies started about a month ago and now slings cookies, cakes, pies, ice cream, and other confections for late-night indulgence at the downtown Miami bar and eatery.
Ponsetti isn't leaving the cookie kingdom but will focus on making higher-end American desserts such as pies, cakes, brownies, and other delectable treats. "Dessert will always be an essential component of any menu as long as people enjoy sweets. The Corner is no different," Ponsetti says.
For example, she prepares plum tarte tatin, which is like a plum upside-down tart; the fruit is caramelized in butter and sugar before it is baked.
She's also planning peach pies, raspberry-lime pies with pomegranate molasses, and blueberry brownies with fresh blueberries, as well as seasonal desserts.
"The only thing that I won't do differently are my cookies," says Ponsetti, a 2007 graduate of the Art Institute in Fort Lauderdale. That's good news, because we like her cookies just the way they are -- completely vegan and totally delicious.
Prior to Om Nom Nom, Ponsetti taught culinary classes to children in Montessori schools.
The cookies Ponsetti makes for Om Nom Nom are vegan, but at the Corner, it depends on the night of the week. Most of the desserts Ponsetti makes are vegan, except the blueberry brownies with ice cream, for example.
Ponsetti takes the place of chef Melissa Cala, who passed away in January after suffering an asthma attack.
"Melissa was a huge part of the business; she will be forever missed," says Chris MacLeod, co-owner of the Corner. "As far as the desserts go, Anthea has a knack for making desserts that everyone loves. We're pumped to have her."
Among some of the dessert favorites that Ponsettii is whipping up at the Corner are fresh mango pie and snickerdoodle cookie and cinnamon ice-cream sandwiches.
Meanwhile, Ponsetti will continue operating and making vegan cookies for Om Nom Nom, building a formidable presence in South Florida, holding wholesale accounts for both Broward and Miami-Dade counties, and expanded her business to the Denver market. Last April she celebrated the launch of her new website.
"It's a special thing to me to take Melissa's place," says Ponsetti, who had known Cala since 2010. "I kind of know what she wanted from the restaurant. She didn't just want it to be a bar or lounge; she wanted a strong voice in the kitchen."
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