Frank Picchione

Mini Blueberry Crisps

Mixed Berry Crumble

Gluten-free flours lend themselves well to crisps and crumbles. For this recipe I combined all purpose gluten-free flour with oats, Truvia, cinnamon and shortening. I zested a lemon into the berries and sweetened them with a bit of Truvia as well.

Hot Rhubarb Compote with Orange Zest & Raw Strawberries

Coconut-Chocolate Chip Blondies (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Once again, this raw vegan cookie dough was hard to resist. When baked, the cookies' texture was slightly crunchy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. The gluten free flour I used gave them an almost peanut butter-like flavor. I used a bit of brown sugar, but most of the sweetness comes from Truvia and the chips.

Double Chocolate Chip Biscotti

One nice thing about vegan baked goods is that you can safely eat the raw cookie doughs and cake batters... and this one was delicious! Unlike regular biscotti, which uses only white, all purpose flour, this recipe contains equal amounts of buckwheat, brown rice, sorghum and tapioca flours. I know, that sounds way too healthy to be any good. But the truth is, combined with cocoa powder, espresso and chocolate chips, these are even more yummy than my traditional recipe.

Below you can see the super moist batter right after mixing. The bottom photo shows the two pre-cooked logs, which I partially baked for 15 minutes before cutting them into individual biscotti and returning them to the oven to crisp up.

Chocolate-Glazed Vanilla Donuts

I just got myself a donut pan so I can make homemade donuts. These are gluten free and vegan, obviously. I made two dozen, and they were so good I could have eaten all 24 at once. I found the easiest way to load the batter was with a piping bag. The creative possibilites for donuts are endless. I dipped this batch in melted chocolate to which I had added a touch of coconut oil so they'd be glossy when dry.

Chocolate Layer Cake

I veganized my classic chocolate layer cake recipe by using soy milk and Ener-G Egg Replacer in the cake batter, and shortening in place of butter in the frosting. Unlike most of my desserts this one is loaded with sugar, white flour and calories - a rich, decadent treat that is free of cholesterol and trans fats.

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Cinnamon Chia Seed Pudding

Chia seeds are loaded with soluble fiber and nutrients. I put a spoonful, along with ground flax seeds, into my daily smoothies. I made two identical versions of this dessert, sweetening one with Truvia and one with agave. They were practically indistinguishable from one another, so going forward I will use the calorie-free Truvia for its sweetness. I actually prefer the texture of this much healthier pudding to that of tapioca, and plan on making it in every imaginable flavor.