Meyer Lemon Icebox Cheesecake

Spring is finally in the air!  I shouldn't complain because here in San Francisco we haven't had anywhere near the snow and rain storms that the East Coast has experienced.  But still, you better believe I'm loving the sunny weather we've seen over the last few days.  I hope it's here to stay.

What better way to celebrate than with a dessert that's light, refreshing and citrus-y?  I'm a sucker for anything lemon so I've been hankering to make this Lemon Icebox Cheesecake from Cook's Country for quite some time.   My version uses delicious meyer lemons, my favorite variety.

I've made CC's icebox cheesecake for this blog before, but the addition of lemon was the main draw and this recipe is bursting with it.  From the use of lemon sandwich cookies in the crust, rather than the typical graham crackers, to a homemade lemon curd mixed in to the filling and decorated on top.  Get ready to pucker up and celebrate the season!    

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies

After a recent visit to my brother's house I brought home a bagful of delicious meyer lemons, one of my favorite citrus fruits.  The dilemma now was what to make with them.  I've done lemon bars and mini tarts numerous times so I was looking for something new.

I remembered seeing these lemon ricotta cookies on an episode of Giade De Laurentiis' Everyday Italian.  The addition of ricotta cheese to a cookie intrigued me enough to give the recipe a try. 

The cookies baked up flatter than I was hoping for but were still quite good.  Actually, the taste and shape of the baked rounds reminded me a little of whoopie pies.  The lemon glaze topping gave the cookies a hit of tart sweetness, perfect with a cup of tea.

TWD Lemon Loaf Cake

When I submitted my blog in the drawing to host this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe I was really hoping it would be chosen.   I love all things citrus and Lemon Loaf Cake was right up my alley.   

As soon as I found out Treats was one of the two blogs that were randomly chosen I immediately called my sister-in-law to ask for lemons.  A massive meyer lemon bush divides her driveway from the next door neighbor's so an abundance of fruit is literally at her fingertips.

 

As I read through the cake recipe I was pleasantly surprised to learn that its texture was similar to a pound cake but that preparation was all done by hand.  Any recipe where I don't have to bust out the KitchenAid stand mixer is an ideal one to me.

I took a little detour from the cookbook by brushing the baked loafs with a meyer lemon syrup and then topping with a meyer lemon glaze and candied meyer lemon slices - a triple citrus threat if I ever saw one.   Even with the addition of the lemon syrup I found the cake itself to be a tad bit dry but still delicious nonetheless.

Michelle from the blog The Beauty of Life is my fellow co-host for this week's recipe.