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Have you ever thought of hosting a Great Vegan Baking Show, like the trending Great British Baking Show?

Early Spring Desserts

Fran Costigan - Early Spring Desserts

Recorded

This event was on April 7, 2026

Join Chef Fran Costigan, Rouxbe Director of Vegan Pastry, for a spring look at the flavors, functions, and best uses of brighter and lighter, always tasty vegan desserts. Perfect for beginners and seasoned bakers alike, this session will refresh your skills, boost your confidence, and inspire dessert ideas that bloom all April and beyond.

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Question

Diane Kirschner

Have you ever thought of hosting a Great Vegan Baking Show, like the trending Great British Baking Show?

Answer

Well, that would be fun, but no, I haven't thought of hosting that. It's a good idea. I can talk to some of my pastry chef friends, and we'll see about that. Interesting. And the Great British Baking Show has had vegan segments twice, and I believe they've had one or two vegan bakers. And I know one of the times they were using aquafaba, and wrong or not complete enough explanation. And I'm yelling at the TV, "No, you have to reduce it. You have to chill it. You're going too quickly." With aquafaba, when you're making a meringue, you need to use a starch like cream of tartar, which you would use to make egg meringue. And then you have to add the-- I use caster sugar, which is finely ground cane sugar, and I grind it myself in my Vitamix, one tablespoon at a time, and you whip for another minute, at least, after each time, and so on.

Fran Costigan

Director of Vegan Pastry

FranCostigan.com

Fran Costigan is internationally renowned as the authority on vegan desserts. Trained at the New York Restaurant School and Natural Gourmet Institute, Fran was a chef in both traditional and vegan pastry kitchens before moving into teaching over 20 years ago. A lifelong chocoholic and long time vegan, Fran’s latest book, Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy Free Desserts, (Running Press 2013) is for all who madly, deeply love chocolate desserts, whether or not dietary considerations are an issue. Her previous cookbook, More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally (Book Publishing Company 2006) is the basis of the Costigan Vegan Baking Boot Camp Intensive®. For more information, www.francostigan.com.