The Queen of Vegan Desserts may not be a lofty enough title to describe a woman of Chef Fran Costigan’s immense talent. Fran is a world-renowned culinary instructor, consultant and author, who has been tantalizing vegans and omnivores for over 20 years with her inventive desserts that are crafted with cholesterol-free and minimally processed ingredients. Talk about treats fit for a king! And speaking of treats, Fran is going to be our special guest for this week’s #Veganfoodchat, where you’ll get to meet the woman who’s made so many palates happy.

Fran’s first cookbook, More Great Good Dairy Free Desserts Naturally, available at amazon.com, illustrates how sumptuous desserts need not be made with over-processed, chemically-laden ingredients. Whether its cobblers, biscuits, cookies or dozens of other types of superb treats, Fran’s keen acumen for making the impossible, possible will be covered in this amazing book!

Her latest book, Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy Free Desserts (Running Press) was released in October of 2013 and can be ordered from amazon.com. Vegan Chocolate carries on Fran’s tradition of using whole food ingredients to bake, cook, and mix remarkably delicious and eye-popping sweets. This beautifully crafted book has a professional cook’s look and feel (fear not, the recipes are quite easy to make!) with wonderfully rich photos by the talented food photographer Kate Lewis!

Fran’s also been published in respected magazines such as Clean Eating, has appeared a shows ABC’s Nightline and Delicious TV’s Vegan Mashup. If you would like to learn more about Chef Fran, her services, to take a peek at some of her recipes, or to just introduce yourself, make sure to check out her website francostigan.com.